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End of an Era
reflections on the
tenure of John Bardo
western
carolina Winter
2011
t h e M a g a z i n e O f W E s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y
Pride to Pasadena
rose parade wrap-up
Special section inside
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Actually, you helped build it.
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Loyalty Fund | give.wcu.edu | 201 HF Robinson, Cullowhee NC 28723
Winter 2011
Volume 15, No. 1
The Magazine of Western Carolina University is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division
of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University.
Chancellor
John W. Bardo
Vice Chancellor
Advancement and
External Affairs
Clifton B. Metcalf
Managing Editor
Bill Studenc MPA ’10
Associate Editors
Teresa Killian Tate
Jill Ingram MA ’08
Art Director
Rubae Schoen
Chief Photographer
Mark Haskett ’87
graphic designer
Katie Martin
Staff Writers
Ashlea Allen Green
Randall Holcombe
Christy Martin ’71 MA ’78
Steve White ’67
Staff Photographers
Ashley T. Evans
Jarrett Frazier
Calendar Editor
Laura Huff ’03
Production Manager
Loretta R. Adams ’80
Circulation Manager
Cindi Magill
Search for this button throughout the
magazine for stories that feature online
extras – videos, photographs and more,
available ONLY online.
magazine.wcu.edu
western
carolina Table of
Contents
Features
resident status
The campus makeover continues
with the opening of residence halls
moving on up
A $2.5 million federal grant supports
a program for people with disabilities
Special Section
Pride of the Mountains
blossoms at the Rose Parade
Cover story
end of an era
John Bardo prepares to step
down after 16 years as chancellor
Sections
8 News from the
Western Hemisphere
26 WCU Athletics
32 Alumni Achievements
40 Class Notes
46 Calendar
4
14
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18
center of magazine
4 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
resident status
A major campus makeover continues with the opening of twin residence halls
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
With the dedication of new Balsam and Blue Ridge
residence halls, the university equivalent of a “total
remodel” home improvement project is nearly complete. All
that remains now is some major landscaping to tie all the
pieces together.
The transformation of the center of the Western Carolina
campus from a university where a trip from the student
union to the cafeteria often involved dodging heavy traffic
on a busy state road to one with a pedestrian-friendly,
traditional college quad was made possible by the relocation
of Centennial Drive away from the center core of campus
in 2005.
The remodel included a major renovation to A.K. Hinds
University Center completed in 2004 that added 34,000
square feet of space, resulting in a new “living room”
where students could gather out of the classroom. The
Campus Recreation Center, which opened in fall 2008, is a
73,000-square-foot “rec room” featuring an indoor climbing
wall and jogging track, along with a fully equipped fitness
area and two multipurpose courts. The 53,000-square-foot
Courtyard Dining Hall began operations in 2009, giving
students a new “dining room,” with options ranging from
an all-you-can-eat venue with multiple food stations to
a mall-style food court. Now, with the opening of Balsam
The adjoining Blue Ridge
and Balsam residence halls,
united by an archway, ring
a campus center currently
under construction (bottom
left and inset). The campus
center features green spaces,
walkways and a fountain
and is due for completion
by summer.
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 5
Residence Hall in 2009 and Blue Ridge Hall this year
through a $50 million construction project, 800 students
have new bedrooms.
Residents of the new halls include members of WCU’s
Honors College, which also has office space in the ground
floor of Balsam Hall. The residential college for high-achieving
students has grown from 77 students in 1997
to more than 1,400 undergraduates representing all
disciplines. The lower level of Blue Ridge Hall features new
campus conference facilities capable of accommodating
more than 300 people.
Brian Railsback, dean of the Honors College, said that the
new residence halls make an excellent home for his students
and will play a role in helping recruit even larger numbers
of academically gifted students in the years ahead. “These
two impressive residences are a marvel of careful design and
are now home to a vibrant social life. These are important
things, but they are not the most important,” Railsback said.
“Above all, this facility is a place for learning. Working in
the numerous study rooms together in groups, or working
alone in their rooms, students here are doing the research
and creative work initiated by challenges from our faculty.
The students who pass through these halls are becoming
professionals or top candidates for graduate school, set
to make a difference in their world – and much of that
transformation happens right here in the residence.”
The Nov. 30 dedication ceremony also include recognition
of a plaque located on the exterior wall of Blue Ridge Hall
marking the site of Leatherwood Hall, which was leveled to
make room for Blue Ridge, and to honor the contributions
of those for whom the building was named – Therman and
Nell M. Leatherwood. Work is under way on a campus
center, with landscaping, walkways and a circular, zero-depth
fountain being built between the Alumni Tower
and Blue Ridge and Balsam. The majority of the project is
expected to be completed by April or May.
Balsam and Blue Ridge are home to the Honors College and will
play a big part in preparing those students for life after college, said
Brian Railsback (top left), Honors College dean. Students work in
one of Balsam’s multiple lounges and study rooms (top right), while
students Ian Youmans (left) and Adam Ray relax in a Balsam room.
6 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Hundreds of students call the new residence halls Balsam and Blue Ridge home, so it’s only fitting that
photographs by members of the WCU family line the walls.
During the past decade, the university has concentrated on upgrading common spaces in residence halls,
said Keith Corzine ’82, director of residential living. Often this means adding pictures or prints. “It’s a nice
touch, and it makes it feel more like home,” Corzine said. As Blue Ridge and Balsam progressed, “we knew we
wanted to move in that direction.”
Enter Megan Cavanah ’10, a resident assistant at the time the new halls were being built and now a WCU
graduate student in mathematics. Her dad is not only an alumus, Cavanah told Corzine, but is a photographer.
As it turned out, Corzine and Doug Cavanah ’82 were classmates. When Corzine saw Doug Cavanah’s work,
he was sold. “He’s an incredible photographer,” Corzine said.
Ultimately Cavanah, a full-time fine art photographer who lives part time in Franklin, contributed more
than a dozen Western North Carolina nature prints that hang primarily in Balsam. Four large black-and-white photos
hang prominently in the entrance hall to the Blue Ridge Conference Center. “We wanted that space to have a gallery feel,”
Corzine said.
“I am extremely proud that my pictures are hanging there,” said Cavanah, who forgoes digital in favor of a large-format
view camera. “The school has made tremendous progress since I graduated, campus is beautiful, the students seem to be
engaged, and I’m just happy with all that WCU has accomplished.”
Corzine turned to another member of the WCU family, junior communication major and resident assistant Jarrett
Frazier, to round out the photographs. Frazier, a Sylva native, has worked with university photographer Mark Haskett
’87 since his freshman year and commonly turns up with his camera at campus events. Corzine has used Frazier’s work at
open houses and other recruiting events, and also liked Frazier’s nature shots. “He had a nice portfolio to choose from,”
Corzine said. The walkway lounge above the arch connecting the two residence halls is a showcase for a series of Frazier’s
wildflowers.
For printing and mounting the photos (with the exception of Cavanah’s black-and-white images, which he printed
himself), Corzine turned to Tom Frazier ’79, Jarrett’s father and WCU manager of printing, mailing and PAW Print
services, who also helped select photos for display. (Jarrett Frazier’s mother is Vickey Frazier ’75, and his brother is
Patrick Frazier ’07, WCU assistant director of admission.)
“A lot of visioning went into that residence hall project, and it’s really nice when the finished project – which includes
the Doug Cavanah touch and a Jarrett Frazier touch and Tom Frazier imprint – is greater than the vision you had for it,
and that’s how I felt about this project,” Corzine said.
photographic study
The images throughout new residence halls have WCU connections
By jill ingram MA ’08
Photos by WCU student Jarrett
Frazier and Doug Cavanah
’82 (above) hang throughout
the new residence halls. Four
large-scale black-and-white
photos by Cavanah, including
one fittingly titled “Blue Ridge”
(top), hang in the Blue Ridge
Conference Center entryway.
Winter 2011 | 7
Some “boys from Brazil” are setting up a high-tech
enterprise in Cullowhee, but this group of enterprising
South Americans has nothing to do with nefarious plots or
clones of notorious dictators. Instead, this band of Brazilians
is collaborating with Western Carolina’s Kimmel School to
develop new technology that could help wean the nation
from its dependence on petroleum-based power.
The Brazil-based renewable energy corporation Vale
Energy Solutions (Vale Soluções em Energia, or VSE),
agreed this fall to bring the headquarters of its U.S.
operations to WCU to take advantage of faculty resources
BOYS FROM BRAZIL
The Kimmel School teams up with
a South America-based renewable
energy company
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
and laboratory space in the Kimmel School. The public-private
partnership was formalized Oct. 11 when university
and company representatives signed documents hailed by
WCU Chancellor John W. Bardo.
“VSE will benefit from our faculty expertise and other
resources. WCU faculty will benefit from having access to
new high-tech equipment, and WCU students will benefit
from hands-on educational experiences, internships and
international exchange opportunities in Brazil,” Bardo said.
The region and the environment also could be big winners
because of the partnership, he said. “If the project works like
we think it will, we may be able to build a manufacturing
facility to make these new turbines, which could mean as
many as 300 new jobs. We hope those jobs will be in Western
North Carolina.”
The relationship enables VSE and its U.S. subsidiary,
TAO Sustainable Power
Solutions, to work with the
Kimmel School to engineer
a new turbine power system
that runs on renewable
energy sources. TAO occupies
offices located on the second
floor of WCU’s Center for
Applied Technology. “VSE
is interested in developing
this technology to satisfy
a worldwide need: efficient
distributed power generation
from renewable fuels,” said
Robert McMahan, Kimmel
School dean. “Brazil produces enormous amounts of
sugarcane, which is already used to produce automotive
transport fuels for their domestic use. This program will
result in the development and production of systems that
can use these and other renewable fuels to generate power
while also, in some cases, cleaning potable water from
contaminated or brackish sources. The company turned to
us for the expertise to help make this happen.” The company
also plans to use the technology to help bring the world’s
first “green Olympics” to Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
James Pessoa, president and CEO of VSE and TAO, said
the agreement is just the first step in a long-term partnership.
“This is a great honor for me and for VSE to be here to sign
and to celebrate our technological collaboration agreement
for the development of advanced turbines,” Pessoa said.
“I’m certain that this is the starting point of a long-range
and very fruitful collaboration between VSE and Western
Carolina University.” Among possible future projects is a
potential “game-changer” – a turbine that would produce
not only nonpolluting energy but also fresh, drinkable
water from such sources as saltwater, brackish water and
industrial effluent.
Fernando Mauricio Mengele
(top, from left) and Marcos Leal
of Vale Energy Solutions discuss
stress analysis methods with
Monty Graham ’95 MS ’03
of the Kimmel School. Inset,
inventor Karl Stetson (left )
and Caden Painter ’08, a WCU
energy management specialist,
watch a holographic analysis of
a turbine blade.
magazine.wcu.edu
8 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
all’s well
Geology students get
hands-on experiences
with research
that supports the
development of WCU’s
Hydrologic Station
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
Wading into muddy creeks to measure stream velocity
or going out in the rain to gather water samples was about
more than just completing a project for geology students
in a senior seminar research class. Their student-designed
analysis of creeks in the Cullowhee community and how
groundwater and streamwater interact was about being part
of an effort that continues today and could help improve
water quality.
“I realized how much fun it is to actually put into practice
what we learned in class, and how gratifying it was to see a
project that we had designed turn out so well and be used
to help the groundwater evaluation sites be established at
WCU,” said John Hayes ’10, from Chapel Hill. “Water is one
of the most valuable resources we have, and we need to do
more to protect it so it is clean and does not run out.”
Their research not only earned the students an invitation
to present at a national professional meeting but also
proved to be preliminary work on sites that are now part
of the developing WCU Hydrologic Station. As part of the
initiative, WCU has committed to participate in regular
groundwater and streamwater research and monitoring,
and the N.C. Division of Water Quality has installed about
40 shallow groundwater wells around campus at depths
ranging from 5 to 25 feet.
“It is an opportunity to partner with a university
doing work of common interest,” said Ted Campbell, a
hydrogeologist with the N.C. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources. “By working with WCU on this
project, we can leverage our resources to learn more about
groundwater and stream interactions, and water quality
in these settings, which will help us to determine whether
or not current approaches to sampling and permitting are
appropriate and optimally effective.”
Mark Lord, head of WCU’s Geosciences and Natural
Resources Department, said students in the senior
seminar research class are encouraged to focus their work
on regional issues. Classes have focused on such topics as
landslides in Haywood County, paleoclimate analysis of a
wetland in Panthertown, the impact of Dillsboro dam on the
Tuckaseigee River and now, streamwater and groundwater.
“This is a great example of giving students a terrific
learning experience that is authentic and real in which they
collaborate with professionals in a wide variety of disciplines
on research that is important to our region,” said Lord.
“Understanding our groundwater resources is increasingly
important as we see more development and, as we saw in
recent years, with drought conditions that caused wells to
run dry. The more we know, the better informed we will be
in making decisions that affect the quantity and quality of
water in our community.”
The experience helped push Danvey Walsh ’10 to pursue
his master’s degree in hydrogeology at the University of
Nevada in Reno, where he is a research assistant working
on a 3-D geothermal reservoir modeling project. “I really
learned that there is a lack of public education when it comes
to groundwater and water issues,” Walsh said. “I hope this
project can help reach out and inform the community about
where our water really comes from.”
Ted Campbell (far left),
a hydrogeologist with
the N.C. Department of
Environment and Natural
Resources, measures depth
during well installation on
the WCU campus with
student Paul Purnell. Mark
Lord (above left), head
of the WCU Geosciences
and Natural Resources
Department, and geology
students go into the field to
discuss and gather data for
water quality research.
Winter 2011 | 9
The newest additions to WCU’s landscape can withstand
high winds, heavy rain, snow, ice and subzero temperatures,
but won’t survive through the year. Installed in September,
these works of metals, concrete and wood are pieces in a
temporary outdoor sculpture exhibit.
The sculptures are in the courtyard of the Fine and
Performing Arts Center, with each piece specifically chosen
for its site, said Denise Drury, interim museum director.
For instance, “Nucleus of a Raindrop” by Hanna Jubran,
of Grimesland by way of Israel, “is highly detailed, so we
decided to place it near the entrance to the FAPAC box office
so that visitors might have a more intimate experience with
it,” Drury said. “Midden Artifacts,” five concrete mounds
by Brian Glaze of Hendersonville, were placed in the lawn’s
center as if rising from the earth like uncovered relics.
Also part of the exhibit are “Ferrous Oak,” by J. Andrew
Davis of Brevard, a vertical shaft of steel and cast iron;
“Union,” by Deborah LaGrasse of Crawfordville, Fla., two
identical joined aluminum forms; and “Over & Up,” by
Robert Winkler of Asheville, a spiral of cedar and steel that
employs straight lines only.
While the outdoor exhibit is scheduled to end in October,
it comes as part of a master plan to increase public access to
art on campus through exhibits of temporary, permanent,
neighborhood and themed art. An outdoor environment
requires art “that stands out against its surroundings,”
Jubran said. Outdoor art is more accessible to the public and
typically gets more exposure than a piece housed indoors.
When it’s been part of the landscape long enough, “once you
remove it, people will miss it,” he said.
BLOOMING WHILE THEY’RE PLANTED
The art museum exhibits outdoor sculpture, and a fixture leaves his post
By jill ingram MA ’08
Martin DeWitt, founding director
and curator of the Fine Art Museum,
has been a part of the WCU landscape
since before the museum even
opened, and, like public sculpture,
now that he is gone, the WCU and
surrounding communities surely
miss him. “I think the timing is
right for changes,” said DeWitt, who
ended his run in December. Though
his career spans more than 30 years
in museum administration, he is a
painter and sculptor who exhibits his
own work and looks forward to more time in his studio.
DeWitt joined the university in 2003, with the museum
opening in 2005 as part of WCU’s Fine and Performing
Arts Center. He was involved in the museum’s construction,
curated its permanent collection (which grew to more than
1,200 objects) and drafted the blueprint for the facility’s
operation. “Martin has been an outstanding founding
director of the Fine Art Museum,” said Robert Kehrberg,
dean of WCU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts, who
praised DeWitt for defining a vision for the museum and
cultivating it as a cultural destination.
Regional artists have been a museum focus, among them
Harvey K. Littleton, a pioneer of the studio glass movement;
Lewis Buck, who creates paintings and assemblage
pieces; glass artist Richard Ritter; and Mike Smith, who
photographs contemporary Appalachia. DeWitt also
showcased a number of American Indian artists, including
Shan Goshorn, Luzene Hill and Natalie Smith.
Outdoor art is accessible art:
Children play on Brian Glaze’s
“Midden Artifacts” in the
Fine and Performing Arts
Center courtyard. At right,
a detail of the steel and
cast iron ‘Ferrous Oak.’
fineartmuseum.wcu.edu
Martin DeWitt
10 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
It was not the typical Thursday morning for song sparrow IR-IF.
While defending his territory from the song of an intruding male, he
landed in the net of Jeremy Hyman, a biology professor at Western
Carolina University. Held tightly in Hyman’s hand, IR-IF got a set
of ankle bands. Hyman measured the bird’s wing length, tarsus and
beak before putting him in a white bag to weigh him.
Hyman released the bird from his grip, and IR-IF flew to a nearby bush to pick at his new bands with his beak. “He’ll be back
to defending his territory in no time,” Hyman said.
IR-IF is king of the small garden and shrubs a courtyard adjacent to Hoey Auditorium, and is one of the most aggressive
males at WCU. IR-IF’s territory is one of more than 100 on the campus.
Hyman studies 40 of the territories. He researches the behaviors of song sparrows and compares the urbanized population
around the campus to other areas. Hyman has loved bird-watching since he was a kid and learned the art of birding from his
grandpa in New York City. “I didn’t know it could turn into a profession,” he said.
He started teaching at WCU four years ago and spent the summer studying local bird populations on campus. “I
immediately saw these birds were way more aggressive than the ones I’d known before,” said Hyman, who studied the same
species extensively in Pennsylvania.
Hyman measures how aggressive the birds are through playback experiments. He goes into a male’s territory and sets up a
small speaker, which plays the song of another male from his field studies in Pennsylvania.
Each male has a repertoire of about five to 13 songs. During mating season, roughly March to September, they sing the
songs to attract females and hold their turf. Aggressive males will swoop down and chirp lower-pitched songs at the speaker.
Hyman tracks how close the males get to the speaker and how many songs they sing during the experiment.
To make sure the difference is truly between urban and rural populations instead of just between North Carolina and
Pennsylvania sparrows, Hyman has done playback experiments at Purchase Knob, a remote area of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park in Haywood County where the birds encounter few people.
While Hyman has detected broad trends in the aggressiveness of rural versus urban populations, personalities vary between
individual birds — just like they would within a group of people. For example, not all male song sparrows have the boisterous
personality of IR-IF. “You also have these birds that are real wimps year after year,” he said.
Reprinted in edited format with permission of the Smoky Mountain News.
bird brain
Song sparrow behavior strikes a chord as
a research topic for a biology professor
By ELIZABETH JENSEN
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 11
The studies that forensic science
faculty members are planning for
Western Carolina’s new state-of-the-
art DNA sequencers could
help introduce the technology into
crime laboratory casework across
the nation. The university recently
acquired two instruments believed
to generate significantly more DNA
information from a test sample than
the fluorescence-based chemistries
and equipment that have been used
for years in crime laboratories. Before
the new technology can be reliably
used in criminal investigations,
however, exploratory studies must be
conducted. And that’s where WCU
comes in, said Mark Wilson, director
of the forensic science program.
“These instruments are most common in genome
laboratories and have not yet made a debut in forensic
science, but it’s just a matter of time,” said Wilson. “There is
a lot of discussion in the forensic science community about
how to integrate this technology into forensic casework. We
will conduct some of the studies at WCU that are required
for this kind of equipment to be introduced into crime
laboratories so that the benefits of the new technology can
be realized.”
The new instruments use light signals to generate DNA
sequence information on a very fine scale. Specifically, the
equipment’s charge-coupled device, or CCD camera, takes
pictures of light emitted from microscopic wells containing
the DNA sequencing reagents and the DNA template to
be sequenced. The pictures generated resemble a snowy
TV screen, with each pixel representing a separate DNA
sequencing reaction. The small pieces of DNA sequence
are collected and then stitched together using computer
programs to build larger sequences so that investigators
can compare the results with other DNA sequences from a
particular case or a database.
“This approach assists with the difficult task of evaluating
mixtures of different DNA sequences, such as those found
in some evidentiary samples, or those found, for instance,
from a soil sample containing multiple bacterial species
science test
Researchers at WCU
are helping evaluate
the next generation of
DNA sequence analysis
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
from the Great Smoky Mountains,” said Wilson. “There
are a multitude of different uses for this technology that
expand beyond forensic science into widely divergent fields
within biology.”
The sequencer will be available for use in research by
WCU faculty in a range of disciplines, including biology
and chemistry, and students will benefit from becoming
familiar with the equipment, said Wilson. “Our students
will be exposed to a technology that is just now coming into
the forefront,” he said. “They will gain valuable experience
that is not offered in many undergraduate programs,
especially in forensic science.”
The forensic science program also recently received
a $397,098 grant from the National Institute of Justice
to evaluate an emerging method of DNA sequence
analysis using these instruments. The method, called
deep sequencing, can identify minor variations within a
DNA sequence that are present as a small percentage of
the whole. Using deep sequencing information from hair,
mouth and blood samples, WCU’s research will attempt to
reveal whether the forensic field might benefit in making
interpretational changes in some aspects of human DNA
analysis. “This research may have an impact on the number
of interpretations that are currently inconclusive,” Wilson
said. “In other words, it may result in more definitive
conclusions, although this remains to be seen.”
Rebecca Malott ’10 performs
a DNA extraction from
buccal cells with guidance
from Brittania Bintz MS ’06
(background), forensic
research scientist at WCU.
12 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
a FUNDRAISER
with LEGS
The evolving running scene on
campus has a new attraction –
WCU’s first half marathon
By randall holcombe
Runners from across the Southeast will get a chance
to test their leg muscles this spring by participating in
the new Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon. The race will
start from the center of campus at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 3,
and take runners on a scenic 13.1-mile journey through
the Cullowhee Valley and along the Tuckaseigee River
before winding back to WCU. Sponsors are the School of
Health Sciences, and Campus Recreation and Wellness.
Proceeds will be used to support professional development
opportunities for students.
The new race has its roots in WCU’s athletic training
program, which has been sponsoring a 5-K on campus
for five years, said Jay Scifers, former director of athletic
training who is now director of the School of Health
Sciences. The success of the 5-K led to the first Mountain
Jug Run for Research in fall of 2008. Named after the annual
football rivalry between WCU and Appalachian State
University, the Run for Research sends athletic training
students and faculty on a leg-powered relay spanning the
175 miles between Cullowhee and Boone to raise money for
the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Research and
Education Foundation, which awards research grants and
academic scholarships in sports medicine.
The third Run for Research was held in late October,
with each of the 15 runners covering 25 miles of the course
in 5-mile segments, and two or three runners on the road
at any given time. It was a huge accomplishment for the
student runners, many of whom had never run more than
a mile at a time before signing on for the challenge, Scifers
said. The group trained for 10 weeks to get ready, meeting at
6 a.m. four mornings each week to complete training runs
ranging from three to 12 miles. “To see the new runners
complete the Run for Research and then continue running
after the event and adopt a new lifestyle of wellness is
very gratifying,” Scifers said. “In addition to teaching the
students about the value of philanthropy, the event helps
them learn about injury prevention, proper nutrition,
hydration and management of environmental conditions in
athletics.” The Run for Research has been so successful that
WCU’s program won the NATA-REF’s Student Challenge
Award the last two years for raising more money than any
other athletic training program in the nation for the grant
and scholarship program.
Keeping with that theme of encouraging new
runners to get into the sport for fitness and
wellness, organizers of the Valley of the
Lilies Half Marathon are putting extra
emphasis on encouraging new runners
to take on the challenge of running
13.1 miles for the first time, said
Ashley Long, assistant professor of
athletic training. ���A 12-week training
program we developed is being
offered free to all registered runners,
and those who live in the local
area have been taking advantage of
organized group training runs,” she said.
For more information about the Valley of the Lilies
Half Marathon and the free training program, go to
halfmarathon.wcu.edu.
The success of an annual
long-distance benefit run
prompted Cullowhee’s
inaugural Valley of the Lilies
Half Marathon, says Jay
Scifers (fourth from right),
director of WCU’s School of
Health Sciences.
Winter 2011 | 13
14 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
You don’t have to spend much time on Western Carolina’s
campus before noticing its bustling, diverse student body.
Stroll through Hunter Library and you’re likely to see
students of varying ages, ethnicities and races huddled
around tables with coffees, books and laptops. Pop into
Courtyard Dining Hall for a bite to eat and you might meet
a young Muslim student from Saudi Arabia, stand in line
behind a nontraditional graduate student from Raleigh, or
sit across the table from an American Indian student from
the Qualla Boundary. At WCU and elsewhere across the
nation, the student body has become increasingly diverse,
especially during the Generation Y era. Until recently,
however, one group of students was not likely to be seen on
college campuses – people such as Aaron Hoefs, who has a
developmental disability. “I never thought I’d be sitting in
class myself, but I’d always wanted to know what it was like,”
said Hoefs, 26.
Now he can. Thanks to WCU’s University Participant
Program, backed by a $2.5 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education, Hoefs and a handful of other
20-somethings with intellectual and developmental
disabilities now live, study and work part-time jobs at
WCU. They’re experiencing college – much like any college
freshman would – by living in residence hall, eating their
meals at the dining hall, attending classes, studying for
exams and making new friends.
UP Program participants take up to 10 hours of classes
per semester and are part of a decade-long trend to increase
educational opportunities for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities, which can include cerebral palsy
and some forms of autism. The program is part of a national
movement to include students with such disabilities on
college campuses, said coordinator Kelly R. Kelley ’03
MAEd ’06, whose outspokenness for the inclusion of
students with developmental disabilities at WCU led to the
program’s pilot project three years ago. “Our long-term plan
is to make this an ongoing program at WCU and at other
colleges and universities throughout the state,” said David
L. Westling, UP Program director and the Adelaide Worth
Daniels Distinguished Professor of Special Education.
Organizations such as Think College!, which advocates
postsecondary education for people with intellectual and
other developmental disabilities, contend that until recently
people with such disabilities had limited educational
opportunities after high school. However, as these students
had more inclusive experiences at school and in the
community, they began to dream of attending college, just
like their classmates, siblings and neighbors. Now young
people with intellectual disabilities, with help from families
and educators, are finding ways to make their college
dreams a reality.
The federal government also has stepped up to assist
the college goals of people with intellectual disabilities. To
ensure that students with these disabilities have access to a
college education, Congress approved in 2008 the Higher
Education Opportunity Act, which allows students with
intellectual disabilities to qualify for college loans and work-study
funds.
Although students in the UP Program do not earn college
credit, the program provides two years of customized edu-cational,
social and professional programming previously
unavailable to this population of students. “The program
is designed to work backward based on the student’s post-
UP Program independent-living and employment goals,”
said Kelley.
The UP Program helps students
with developmental disabilities,
including Elizabeth Pritchett
(far left), strolling with program
volunteer Shaneé Sullivan ’10,
participate in all aspects of
campus life. Michael Beasley
(below) was the program’s first
participant and now mentors
new students.
With support from a
$2.5 million federal grant,
the University Participant
Program helps young
people with disabilities
experience college life
By ashlea allen green
Moving on UP
Winter 2011 | 15
A Program of Inclusion
Applicants to the program complete a rigorous admission
process and are required to submit an undergraduate
admission application, résumé and three letters of
recommendation, as well as a video of themselves explaining
their goals and why they’re interested in the program. Staff
from the UP Program and the offices of Admission and
Residential Living meet to review and rate each applicant
based on how much they believe he or she will contribute to
the university.
“The on-campus college experiences of our participants
are fully integrated and inclusive,” Kelley said. “There
are no separate facilities, settings or classes. We recruit
WCU students to provide a natural support system for
participants who are living in residence halls, attending
classes, engaging in social and recreational activities,
becoming involved in student organizations, and
developing friendships and relationships – in other words,
the typical college experience.”
Since the program’s inception, two young men have
completed the program, and four participants – two women
and two men – are currently involved in the program. The
number of participants is expected to double during the
next five years.
Hoefs, whose background includes serving as Haywood
County’s spokesperson for the Special Olympics, is in his
first year of the program and says that his speech class has
been the most difficult. “I got the hang of it after a couple of
weeks with the help of Amanda England, one of the student
volunteers,” he said. “But understanding the professor and
getting up and doing speeches was tough in the beginning.”
On the other side of the classroom podium, faculty also
anticipated a few challenges in the inclusion of UP Program
participants in their classrooms. Peter Savage, assistant
professor in the School of Stage and Screen, had reservations
last semester about whether Anna Grace Davis, an UP
Program participant in his theater appreciation class, would
be accepted by the other students. “I was a little worried that
the other students would not be supportive of her, because
I grew up in a time when students with special needs were
not integrated,” said Savage. “But what I found was that the
students were overwhelmingly accepting and respectful
toward her. That was huge for me.”
Savage said he did not adjust his teaching style for Davis.
“I try to teach different learning styles – auditory, visual,
kinesthetic – for all of my students,” he said. “I hoped that
at least one of those styles would work for Anna.” Savage’s
approach must have paid off; Davis, although shy at first,
memorized her lines and performed well on stage. “When
she was focused, her work was as good as anyone’s,” he said.
This semester, Davis will have to memorize up to 40 lines
in a class performance of a play about high school bullying.
In addition to a busy course schedule, demanding
assignments, and social events and activities, participants
in the UP Program are placed in part-time jobs in areas in
which they’re interested, where they gain not only valuable
job skills but also self-confidence. “They try new things and
succeed,” said Kelley.
Success Stories
Through the program, participants have worked on
campus in offices, greenhouses and the library. Some, like
Elizabeth Pritchett, have even worked off campus. Pritchett
dreamed of finding employment in a day care center, but
was told that her limited reading abilities precluded her
from working in a setting where reading to children was a
core function of the job. That’s when Kelley stepped in and
convinced the center’s staff to take a chance on Pritchett.
The results did not surprise Kelley. “Elizabeth did very well,���
she said. “She even took the initiative to try to implement
part of a behavioral plan at the day care.” Pritchett’s
impressive day care experience led to other meaningful,
hands-on activities, including helping teach small groups
at Cullowhee Valley School, where she assisted in planning
16 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
a unit on farming, supervised groups, and contributed to
lesson plans with fellow WCU students in the class.
Program graduate Michael Beasley, 25, who has worked
as a consultant in the UP Program office mentoring new
participants since the summer of 2010, is another success
story. Beasley, who has cerebral palsy, feels his current job is
a great fit for his skills and interests. “I’d like to stay in this
position for at least five years or until the program runs out
of money,” Beasley said. “In this economy, it sure is hard to
find a job.” A Waynesville native, Beasley was the program’s
first participant, from 2007 until 2009. “I have to toot my
own horn,” he said. “Without me, I don’t think the program
would have gotten off the ground.”
Beasley said that learning how to be independent was
the most important thing he gained from the program.
“The first couple of nights in the dorm were scary, but I got
through it,” he said. “I was surprised by how busy I was, and
I was surprised by how nice everyone was.” Beasley also
recalled how willing facilities management workers were to
install a track system in his Norton Residence Hall room so
that he could get in and out of bed.
Like Beasley, Hoefs found the kindness of fellow students,
faculty and staff to be the most unexpected aspect of his
new life on campus. “I was most surprised by the student
volunteers,” said Hoefs. “I thought that as soon as they found
out that we were people with special needs, they would back
out, but not one has backed out. I realized they were like my
family away from home.”
For more information about the UP Program or to
volunteer, contact Kelly Kelley at 828.550.1990
or kkelley@wcu.edu.
His mother, Connie Hoefs, was relieved to observe
the meaningful friendships her son developed through
the program. “I had been very nervous before he started
the program, not knowing how he would be treated as a
special-needs person. Some people can be so cruel,” she
said. “But he’s made so many friends. It goes beyond school.
Even during the breaks, they were calling, texting and
Facebooking each other.”
Like many college freshmen living away from home for
the first time, UP Program participants experience bouts of
homesickness. They also contemplate what they should do
after college. Hoefs is no exception. “Everyone keeps asking
me what I want to do after college, and I keep telling them
it’s only my first year!” he said.
Hoefs’ mother, however, has a clear idea of her hopes for
her son’s future. “My dreams are that one day he can be
out on his own,” she said. “As every parent with a special-needs
child will tell you, I know I won’t be here forever, so
I want the best for him when I’m no longer here and able to
help him.” She encourages other parents with special-needs
children to allow their children to take part in educational
opportunities like this one. “Don’t hold your child back
because of your fears,” she said. “Let them go. If they don’t
learn to walk, they’ll never learn to run.”
Program participants enjoy
a fully integrated and
inclusive college experience.
UP student Corey Hambrick
(opposite page, top) listens
intently during class while
Aaron Hoefs (bottom) enjoys
a football game with UP staff
member Amber Anderson.
Like other UP Program
students, Anna Grace Davis
(top right) gains skills and
confidence through part-time
work. Here, she catalogs
videotapes in Hunter Library
with program volunteer
Rebekah Norris.
Winter 2011 | 17
18 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
It was just a week or two before John William Bardo,
then provost at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts,
was scheduled to set foot on campus for his first day on the
job as the 10th chancellor at Western Carolina University
when Judy Dowell received an envelope postmarked
“Bridgewater, Mass.” Inside the unexpected delivery was an
artist’s rendering of an approaching storm, with dark clouds
boiling in the heavens, ocean waves whipped into a frenzy
by hurricane-force winds, and bolts of lightning zigzagging
across the horizon. Written below the picture was “Bardo
on the horizon.”
Dowell, who served for 10 years as assistant to Chancellor
Myron “Barney” Coulter and another year as assistant to
Interim Chancellor Jack Wakeley before spending seven
years at the right hand of Bardo, still chuckles when she
harkens back to opening the mail on that day in 1995. “The
picture was sent by an administrator at Bridgewater State
who just thought I would enjoy seeing it. And I did. We all
did,” she said. “The way I interpreted the image was, ‘You
people at Western Carolina better get ready. You’re getting a
ball of fire there, a real bundle of energy.’ I think we all found
out pretty quickly just how true a statement that was.”
Indeed. Who could have predicted the massive winds
of change that have blown through the Cullowhee Valley
over the nearly 16 years since Bardo was named WCU’s
chief executive officer? Under Bardo’s leadership, student
enrollment has grown from 6,500 to more than 9,400, and
with rising enrollment came a building boom unprecedented
in university history. Among the 14 new buildings or major
renovations since 1995 are five residence halls, a dining hall,
the Campus Recreation Center, Fine and Performing Arts
Center, Center for Applied Technology, and an expansion
By bill studenc mpa ’10
of A.K. Hinds University Center. The university added
women’s soccer and softball programs and renovated every
athletics facility on campus, including west-side stands
at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. WCU in 2005 launched the
Millennial Initiative, an ambitious economic development
strategy designed to enable private business and industry
to collaborate with WCU, doubling the size of campus with
the acquisition of 344 acres where a new Health and Human
Sciences Building is under construction.
The university gained national recognition during Bardo’s
tenure for being among the first institutions in the nation
to require students to bring computers to campus and for
adopting innovative tenure and promotion policies that
reward faculty for scholarly activities beyond traditional
teaching, research and service. Western Carolina’s Quality
Enhancement Plan, which emphasizes strong connections
between students’ academic and extracurricular activities,
has been called a national model by higher education
associations. Under Bardo’s watch, WCU created the
residential Honors College, which has grown to become one
of the largest in the country. Over the past 16 years, WCU
has focused attention on sharply increasing admissions
standards and has developed a program in undergraduate
research that consistently ranks near the top in the number
of student presenters at the annual National Conference
on Undergraduate Research. Bardo also made it a priority
to attract top faculty members who are nationally known
experts in their fields. When he first arrived, the university
had no endowed distinguished professorship; today, WCU
boasts 21 that are fully funded.
Bardo, who on Oct. 11 announced his decision to step
down as chancellor at the end of this academic year, also
magazine.wcu.edu
End of an Era
After 16 years on the job,
John Bardo prepares to
step down as chancellor
Winter 2011 | 19
oversaw the first comprehensive fundraising campaign
in university history, which netted $51,826,915 in private
giving for endowed scholarships, professorships and
programmatic support. During his administration, WCU
emphasized the enhancement of student life through the
development of learning communities, student leadership
initiatives, model Greek life programs, and strong attention
to the development and welfare of the whole student.
“You look at all of these things, and it has been quite a
career and quite a tenure for this chancellor,” said Stephen
Woody, former chair of WCU’s Board of Trustees who was
chairman of the committee that guided the search for a
successor to Myron Coulter after his retirement in 1994.
“I like to say that our search committee would like to take
full credit for John Bardo being at Western Carolina, but
of course that’s not true, because many other people were
involved. We all are fortunate to have had John Bardo as
our chancellor, and we should thank him for his years of
dedicated service.”
The Formative Years
Among those involved in helping shape the educational
priorities that would come to define Bardo’s chancellorship
was his father, whose dedication to earning a college degree
as a nontraditional student made an impression on WCU’s
future leader, although Bardo says he did not realize it at
the time. “My father graduated by going to night school. He
went for 10 years while trying to hold down a traveling job
and raising a family. It was a tough run,” he said. “Watching
my father struggle and realizing the implications of getting
an education for him, despite a whole array of issues
including an illness that almost killed him, and the way he
stuck with it and got his degree, that really spoke to me. The
way my mother supported him also made an impression,
because without her saying, ‘Jack, you’ve got to do this,’ he
probably would have stopped because it sometimes got to be
way too much. I do think that colored how I view education
and what I think education actually means.”
Growing up in Ohio, Bardo had an early goal of becoming
a professional photographer. “I loved photography, and
I published a number of pictures over time,” he said.
“I actually had an offer to go into an art studio, but I also was
accepted into graduate school the same day I got that offer.”
The art studio director agreed to hold a position for Bardo
for a year. After earning his master’s degree in sociology
from Ohio University in 1971, he was accepted into the
doctoral program at the Ohio State University. With that,
photography’s loss became higher education’s gain.
“Getting into college and university administration was
never anything in my youth I thought I would pursue,”
Bardo said. “In fact, after I graduated from high school, my
parents did not think I would ever graduate from anything
ever again. For graduation, they gave me a gold Longines
watch because they felt like I would go off into photography
and never continue in academics.” Instead, Bardo studied
economics at the University of Cincinnati, earning his
bachelor’s degree in 1970. Even as an undergrad, he admits
he wasn’t always a stellar student. “Because of my father’s
experience, I was familiar with universities, but when I was
in school, studying was never high on my list of priorities,”
he said. “It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I
woke up and had the big ‘aha moment.’ I changed direction
almost immediately.”
Bardo again credits his parents for that change of
direction. “My parents always knew I wanted to travel, so I
guess in desperation to get me to do something – anything
– they sent me to England to study,” he said “When I got
there, the whole milieu in which they were operating was
so different that it absolutely struck me. They were trying to
answer real, fundamental questions – how do you rebuild
a society after all the major cities have been bombed out,
how do you rebuild an economy so people can live, and
how do you keep the environment from being totally
destroyed while you are rebuilding? These were big-time
questions they were worrying over in very real ways. It was
not just theoretical.”
Those experiences – witnessing his father struggle to
earn a degree and the role of education in helping a society
resurrect itself – steered Bardo’s study of economics and
sociology and shaped his understanding of institutions of
higher education as key players in economic development.
“Higher education has moved from this interesting place
20 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
in the small community with the quirky professor with a
tweedy jacket riding his bicycle to campus and saying nifty
things in the classroom to where universities are now at the
center of the future of society, the future of the economy and
the future of this country,” he said.
First Impressions
Armed with an understanding of the connection between
education and economic development, Bardo began a career
in higher education with stints at Southwest Texas State
University, Wichita State University and the University of
North Florida. He became vice president for academic affairs
at Bridgewater State in 1990, and took on the additional role
of provost in 1993. When Coulter decided to step down as
WCU chancellor in 1994 after a decade in the post, Bardo
was among those interested in the position.
It became evident early in the recruitment process that he
was a front-runner, said Woody. “We identified four finalists
and made plans to bring them to campus so that, over the
course of a couple days, they could meet and talk with
faculty, staff, students and other interested parties,” he said.
“The first person who came to campus, because we did them
alphabetically, was Dr. Bardo. And right after Dr. Bardo
spoke, I had several people say to me, ‘Stephen, don’t bother
bringing anybody else in. We have found the right person.’
And I said, ‘Don’t you at least want to hear what the others
have to say?’ And they replied, ‘It’s not necessary. We already
know who our next chancellor should be.’” (The committee,
of course, did seriously consider other candidates.)
Doug Reed, then director of public information, has a
similar recollection about the public sessions once a part
of the chancellor search process but no longer common
practice. “During his presentation, John had the audience in
the palm of his hand,” Reed said. “I was sitting in the back
of the room, listening and taking notes, and I was struck by
how completely John had captivated the audience. He spoke
as one of them – as a fellow faculty member. He really knows
how to speak to an academic audience.”
Bardo, officially announced as WCU chancellor on
St. Patrick’s Day 1995, also knows how to relate to staff,
including blue-collar workers, said Roger Turk, grounds
superintendent. Turk said Bardo made a perfect first
impression on his workers when they arrived at the
chancellor’s residence to help him move and found the
new boss jamming out to music by rock band Creedence
Clearwater Revival. “I told the guys, ‘He’s one of us, boys,’”
Turk said.
In Bardo, staff members found an ally. Bardo advocated
for salary increases to help lower-paid workers get closer to
the state average for their positions. He created a $10,000
endowed scholarship fund in honor of wife Deborah that
benefits children and grandchildren of WCU employees. He
frequently attends staff picnics or other special activities to
spend time with workers. “Dr. Bardo sees the importance of
the blue-collar worker here at WCU, and what they bring to
the tradition and function of this campus,” Turk said. “He
sees there are people working here who are second, third,
even fourth generations of their families with careers at
WCU. He has come to understand the heritage, pride and
commitment of mountain people and their culture. He has
accepted those attributes in the staff and sees that as a very
positive and important thing.”
Raising the Bar
Perhaps the defining moment of the Bardo era came on
a cold, snowy day in February 1996, in what has come to be
known as the “Raising the Bar” speech. In that first major
address of his administration, Bardo outlined a strategy for
taking WCU to a new level by improving the quality of its
academic programs and increasing admission standards,
and by focusing on regional economic development and the
performing and visual arts.
Reed, the now-retired public information director,
remembers one of his first assignments for Bardo – helping
draft the ‘Raise the Bar’ speech. “I was working on those
From left, Bardo, wife
Deborah and son Christopher
at his 1995 investiture with
C.D. Spangler, president
of the University of North
Carolina system, and Judge
Mark D. Martin ’85; the
Catamount softball program
was established under Bardo;
the Bardos with Paws; and
at the 2003 opening of the
Center for Applied Technology
with trustee Phil Walker ’71,
Congressman Charles Taylor
and SGA president Heather
List ’05.
Winter 2011 | 21
remarks over the weekend, and I felt moved to pick up the
phone and call him at the chancellor’s residence. That had
never been my practice in working with chancellors,” he
said. “But I couldn’t help but pick up the phone and call John
Bardo as I read over the draft of his address. I was really
encouraged by the fact the incoming chancellor was talking
– in diplomatic but strong and forthright terms – about
raising the bar and improving academic quality. I called to
say, ‘Hooray!’”
The rest, as they say, is history. Since 1995, the average SAT
score for incoming freshmen has risen 80 points – a 5-point
rise is considered statistically significant – while the average
grade-point average has gone from 3.0 in 1995 to 3.5 today.
The freshman retention rate has improved from 69 percent
to 74 percent. For two years running, WCU has cracked
the top 10 of US News and World Report’s list of leading
public regional universities in the South. Innovative policies
that reward faculty members for applying their scholarly
activities to solve problems faced by the community beyond
campus have been called “a national model,” and those
policies are enabling professors to help nearby Dillsboro
rebound from the economic downturn.
U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, who represents the far-western
counties of North Carolina in Congress, is among the fans of
WCU’s adoption of “the Boyer model of scholarship,” which
connects university scholarly work to the needs of society.
“Dr. Bardo truly has paved the way for other colleges and
universities across the nation to take a different look at their
academic structure by encouraging an atmosphere that
attracts faculty members who have real-life experiences in
their respective disciplines and who are able to share those
experiences with their students,” Shuler said. ��Students are
able to get valuable career experience before they even have
graduated and begun their careers, and sometimes those
relationships they form while students result in employment
opportunities after they graduate. That’s what we like to see.”
Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, praised
Bardo for his leadership not only on his home campus but
beyond. “Accreditation in the United States exists due to
leaders like Dr. John Bardo, who are committed to self-regulation
in higher education and understand the value
and credibility it brings to academic initiatives. He knows
the necessity for institutional commitment to accreditation’s
concept of quality enhancement through continuous
assessment and improvement and has demonstrated this
through his innovative support of faculty and students
at Western Carolina University, most recently through
the development and implementation of WCU’s Quality
Enhancement Plan,��� Wheelan said. “He is a champion of
American higher education.”
The Purple Party
For all the development on campus over the past 16
years, it’s the university’s role in development of another
kind that has won Bardo admirers for his political acumen.
WCU has received nearly $20 million in federal funding
during his administration, dollars that helped build and
equip the Center for Applied Technology, launch electrical
engineering and forensic science programs, expand regional
broadband capacity, and create science and economic
development partnerships with universities including
Southern Cal, Stanford, Furman and Clemson.
Bardo’s understanding of the role of higher education in
economic development was key in obtaining federal support,
said Charles Taylor, former congressman and member of the
House Appropriations Committee. “It is essential to have
a partner like Dr. Bardo,” Taylor said. “Although I had the
responsibility in the appropriations process of getting the
funds together because of the seniority I had in Congress,
you have to have a program you can be proud of and someone
who can be an eloquent spokesman for that program. With
Dr. Bardo, I had an equal partner, someone who knew what
needed to be done, who could provide the background and
information we needed to make the case for funding for
these programs. As a congressman, that is invaluable.”
From left, Liz Goettee ’06
snaps Bardo at commencement;
and Bardo accepts a 2005
contribution toward the
Fine and Performing Arts Center
from Michell Hicks ’87,
principal chief of the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians,
and Tom O’Donnell of Harrah’s
Cherokee Casino and Hotel.
22 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
A 16-person committee with membership drawn from faculty, students, staff,
alumni and administration and from the surrounding community is deep into
the process of helping select Western Carolina’s next chancellor. The committee
is working with Baker and Associates, an executive search firm with offices in
Winston-Salem and Atlanta, to identify a successor for John W. Bardo.
“We face an extraordinary opportunity in continuing the momentum
this university has achieved and in extending the multitude of successes this
university has enjoyed over the past 15-plus years,” said Steve Warren ’80, chair
of the WCU Board of Trustees, who chairs the chancellor search committee.
After poring over the backgrounds of more than three dozen candidates
and interviewing several, the committee will recommend its top choices to the
WCU Board of Trustees. That board will forward at least three nominees to
University of North Carolina system President Tom Ross, who will present his
recommendation to the UNC Board of Governors for approval. The goal is to
have a new chancellor in place by July 1.
“I know that the search committee and President Ross will find an excellent
leader for WCU,” said Bardo. “The people of this campus have shown that they
are winners and they deserve no less than a great leader. I look forward to lending
him or her my complete support and cheering from the sidelines as this university
continues its quest for excellence.”
The Committee:
Chair Steve Warren ’80 of Asheville, Board of Trustees chair and an attorney.
Gerald Kiser ’69 of Columbia, S.C., Board of Trustees member and former
CEO of La-Z-Boy Inc.
Joan MacNeill of Webster, current trustee and past board chair, and former
president of Great Smoky Mountains Railway.
Virginia “Tommye” Saunooke ’96 MPA ’06 of Cherokee, WCU trustee and
member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council.
Teresa Williams of Huntersville, Board of Trustees member and board secretary.
Charles Worley of Asheville, vice chair of WCU’s trustees and former mayor
of Asheville.
A.J. Grube, head of WCU’s Department of Business Administration and Law,
and Sport Management.
Erin McNelis, chair of WCU’s Faculty Senate and associate professor of
mathematics and computer science.
Bill Ogletree, head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Daniel Dorsey, president of the Student Government Association and a senior
from Decatur, Ga.
William Frady ’99 MAEd ’05, chair of the WCU Staff Senate and staff member
in the Division of Information Technology.
Carol Burton ’87 MAEd ’89, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate studies.
Betty Jo Allen ’68 of Lincolnton, president of the WCU Alumni Association
and a retired teacher.
Kenny Messer ’86 of Greenville, S.C., past-president of the Catamount Club
board of directors and an executive with Milliken Corp.
Phil Walker ’71 of Hickory, former Board of Trustees chair and a senior
vice president with BB&T.
Scott Hamilton of Hendersonville, CEO of AdvantageWest, the regional
economic development commission of Western North Carolina.
search party
A committee is hard at work to have
WCU’s next leader in place by the summer
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
Calling himself a member of “the Purple Party,”
Bardo frequently said that it does not matter to him
whether an elected official is a Republican, a Democrat
or a member of a third party; what matters to him is
a willingness to help WCU in its efforts to support
economic development in WNC.
Taylor saw that mindset in action. “We never got
bogged down in partisan politics or ideology. We
both recognized it was not a Republican or Democrat
problem or a conservative or liberal problem. It was
a regional problem,” said Taylor. “Sometimes people
get so focused on political affiliation or party lines
that it makes it hard to move forward, but that’s not
the case with John. That’s a great part of his character.
He is a true example of a leader who will work with
whatever political party is in power in a given year.”
Shuler, the Democrat now representing the region
in Congress, agreed. “Over his years as chancellor,
Dr. Bardo has shown an ability to work with elected
officials, regardless of anyone’s political affiliation. He
has embraced the philosophy that the most important
thing is what is right for our university, our community,
our state and our nation. He has taken that and worked
successfully for the benefit of the university and the
region it serves,” Shuler said.
Much of that effort has revolved around improving
WCU’s relationship with the nearby Native American
community of Cherokee, including the formation of a
task force of university and tribal leaders dedicated to
working together on projects to improve educational
and economic opportunities for the Cherokee people.
“The relationship between WCU and the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians is through the dedication
of Chancellor Bardo and his willingness to work with
us on many major initiatives,” said Michell Hicks ’87,
principal chief of the Eastern Band. “I have the utmost
respect for his willingness to work with our tribe to
foster open communication.”
Unfinished Business
As the end of an era at WCU approaches, Bardo
admits that he will be leaving some unfinished
business for his successor, although, as he says,
“There’s only so much one can do in a 16-year
run.” Those items include an examination of the
number of academic specializations the university
offers; reducing the unnecessary expansion of the
hours required to graduate from some programs, a
phenomenon called “curriculum creep”; improvements
to the graduation rate so more students can graduate
within four years; and the continued evolution of the
Millennial Initiative.
There’s also the matter of an athletics program
that has fans hoping for better days. Bardo said
he understands the frustrations. “We made very
significant investments in athletics during my time
here, but we have not solved the issue of costs increasing
faster than income,” he said. “WCU’s athletics fees are
high compared to other UNC campuses, so it will be
important for people who are interested in athletics
to continue to increase their support. Athletics is
the ‘front porch’ of the university and it will be very
important for the next chancellor to be able to find
ways to enhance athletic performance.”
Winter 2011 | 23
Despite the handful of tasks not yet completed, Bardo
will be remembered for what he has accomplished, and
for a leadership style that is “visionary, bold, energetic,
comprehensive and intelligent,” said Gurney Chambers
’61, who has worked for 10 of Western Carolina’s 13
presidents and chancellors. Others agree. Shuler, whose
path to Congress began in nearby Swain County, said that
WCU has reached new levels of excellence. “Dr. Bardo has
led such an incredible transformation of Western Carolina
University, from its aesthetics with all of the changes in the
center of campus and addition of beautiful new buildings, to
improvements in its academic quality and its curriculum. As
a native of Western North Carolina, it has been phenomenal
to see all that has transpired under Dr. Bardo’s leadership,”
Shuler said.
Jim Buchanan ’83, editorial page editor of the Asheville
Citizen-Times, has written extensively about the changes
he has seen as his alma mater, a place where his daughter is
now a student in the Honors College. “I’ve been impressed
by what has happened in Cullowhee, especially regarding
the university’s more rigorous academic standards and
aspirations, and of course the well-targeted growth in both
infrastructure and student body,” said Buchanan. “I think
it is safe to say John Bardo will be remembered as a truly
transformative chancellor in the mold of Cotton Robinson.
The place is simply at a whole new level from where it was
upon his arrival.”
Perhaps it is summed up best by Chambers, retired dean
of WCU’s College of Education and Allied Professions,
a man who has been a student, professor, administrator
and benefactor of the university and who has spent 50 of
the last 54 years either witnessing closely or participating
directly in the university’s growth and development. “As we
now face a change in the leadership of the university, it is
appropriate to reflect on the John Bardo era and to express
our appreciation for the leadership he has provided,” he
said. “From my perspective, there is no other 16-year period
in the history of the university that is as worthy of applause
and celebration by students, faculty members, graduates,
friends and community leaders as the Bardo era.”
Bardo gets a boisterous
reception from students
at a 2010 Catamount
basketball game.
24 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
pride to
pasadena { january 1, 2011 }
magazine.wcu.edu
Band members worked and played in California,
performing in the Tournament of Roses Bandfest
(above) at Pasadena City College and enjoying them-selves
at the landmark Santa Monica Pier (opposite).
Although brief, the Pride of the Mountains Marching
Band’s TV appearance in the Rose Parade on Jan. 1
was long enough to keep a promise to rock the world.
As more than 1 billion people watched from 200-plus countries and
territories, the band marched through Pasadena, Calif., performing “You”
by California horn-band Suburban Legends, the WCU fight song and the
Ozzy Osbourne hit “I Don’t Wanna Stop.” About 1 million spectators lined
the streets along the 5.5-mile parade route, creating what band members
described as a sea of humanity.
“You could hear them yelling for us,” said Rachel Rimmer, a senior band staff coordinator
from Siler City majoring in music education. “When we were allowed to take a break, our
drumline was high-fiving kids, and we were talking to people in the crowd.” At one point, a
WCU percussionist lent his drumsticks to a spectator, and the boy’s drumming won applause
not only from the band but also from the crowd. Within days, more than 77,000 votes were
cast at KTLA.com for WCU as the favorite band in the parade, and the Pride won the poll.
(See related story on special section page 8.)
By TERESA KILIAN TATE Hitting the High Notes
2 | Pride of the Mountains
“When I would wave, as many as 70 people
might wave back,” said Bob Buckner ’67,
director of the band. “And even though we
were 2,500 miles from Cullowhee, when we
played the fight song, people chanted ‘Go
Western.’ I got pretty emotional. I was just so
proud about being from WCU.”
A Tradition of Innovation
When halftime announcer Ryan Hipps
’00 surprised everyone at E.J. Whitmire
Stadium on Oct. 24, 2009, with news of
the Rose Parade invitation, band members
struggled to stay at attention. “The Pride
of the Mountains has been selected,
invited and is going to represent Western
Carolina University and the great state of
North Carolina in the 2011 Tournament
of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California!”
said Hipps.
Based on musical talent, entertainment
value, perfor-mance skill and directorship,
the invitation to march in the parade was
one of two extended to U.S. collegiate
bands not accompanying teams to the Rose
Bowl. The announcement came during the
presentation to WCU of the nation’s ultimate
honor for college and university bands, the
Sudler Trophy, considered the “Heisman
Trophy” of the marching band world.
Under the direction of Buckner, Matt
Henley ’93 MA ’95 and Jon Henson ’05
MA ’07, the Pride had earned the nickname
the “world’s largest funk-rock band.” Its
high-energy marching band shows are
anything but traditional, featuring electric
guitars, synthesizers and vocalists. For
the most recent show, “Rock U,” freshman
Ezra G. Byrd played bagpipes to open Kid
Rock’s song “Bawitdaba.” Later, sophomore
Whitney Collins sang AC/DC’s “Rock and
Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” while standing
on a life-sized prop shaped like the letter
“U.” “It’s like a rush of energy,” said Collins.
For music arranger Bill Locklear, the
Pride’s instrumentation gives the music
a completely different dimension, and
the band’s musicianship is impressive.
“Anything that I can write, it doesn’t matter
how difficult it is, these kids can play,” he
said. When Locklear saw the Pride perform
in the fall during its fifth appearance at
the Bands of America Super Regional
Championship in Atlanta, he was taken by
surprise. “It sounded so fresh that it took
awhile for it to come back that I had written
some of that,” he said.
Henley said trying new things is just part
of the band’s tradition. “Our tradition is
innovation and we’re not slowing down,” he
said. “Our foot is squarely on the gas pedal.”
Stepping It Up
Although the band had performed at a
range of prestigious regional and national
events, the Rose Parade presented more
physical and logistical challenges than ever
before. Physically, bandsmen had to have
the endurance to perform the field show
and, two days later, march nearly 6 miles. To
chart their progress as they stepped up their
physical activity, students wore pedometers
for 10 weeks in the fall and logged more than
260 million steps. The mellophone section
alone racked up an average of 108,099
footsteps per member in the 10th week, and
one member, Cole Watkins, lost 65 pounds
after he started running to build up his
stamina. “In the parade, endurance is a big
factor,” said Watkins.
For sophomore trumpeter Kirby Black-welder,
increasing her stretching routine in
preparation was critical because of muscle
weakness as a result of having mild cerebral
palsy. “Last year, I was not sure I was going
to make it through the entire season,” said
Blackwelder. “It was much more intense
than I was used to in high school, but the
challenge made every football game and
every performance more special.” The band
even practiced marching the length of
the parade on a closed stretch of Highway
107 near campus on a Sunday afternoon
in December.
Logistically, the trip required flying band
members to California and transporting
luggage, instruments and equipment
across the country in addition to handling
lodging, meals and busing in and around
the congested Los Angeles area. To raise
money for the nearly $640,000 trip, students
“passed the hat” at home football games; sold
golf shirts, T-shirts, lapel pins, wristbands
and other items; and solicited contributions
from friends and family members.
The band also raised money by offering
donors at the level of $1,000 or more the
opportunity to direct a performance or
receive a photo of the band forming the
donor’s name on the field. In two hours on
Dec. 17, in near-freezing temperatures, the
band spelled and photographed the names of
24 major sponsors whose gifts totaled about
Rose Parade 2011 | 3
$60,000. (See the video at magazine.wcu.
edu.) Among the sponsors were businesses
such as AT&T, which was the largest private
contributor, and supporters, fans and
alumni such as Pat Blanton Kaemmerling
’71 and husband David Kaemmerling, who
said they recognized the band’s hard work
and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
the trip offered students. “This type of
experience can open a student’s mind to
new horizons and can be a turning point in
a student’s life,” she said.
Others such as Jimmy Crocker donated their
time and talents. Crocker, a band parent
as well as the son of one of Buckner’s high
school band directors, volunteered and
recruited other volunteers to drive three
trucks of the band’s equipment, luggage and
instruments across the country and back
– a move that saved an estimated $40,000
in baggage fees. Their journey began
earlier than planned when snow blanketed
Western North Carolina, and drivers spent
Christmas Day morning putting chains on
the tires and coordinating with snowplows
to move the trucks for what would be a slow,
snowy start the following morning to their
three-day journey west. “We couldn’t even
get to the trucks when we first got there,”
said Crocker.
For the Love of
Marching Band
Jeff Throop, Tournament of Roses president,
predicted during a September visit to WCU
that the Pride was going to “blow everybody
away” at the event’s Bandfest. Indeed, on
Dec. 30, the Pride’s performance of “Rock
U” received a standing ovation as well as
high praise from strangers-become-friends
– the family and former band director of the
late Ryan Dallas Cook.
WCU’s band directors never met Cook,
who was a 23-year-old trombone player
in the high-energy California ska band
Suburban Legends when he died in a 2005
traffic accident. They had only heard about
him and how Suburban Legends held a
concert in his honor to benefit Cook’s high
school marching band because of how much
marching band had contributed to Cook’s
love of music. Moved, WCU directors
sought and received permission to perform
a song Cook co-wrote in the Rose Parade.
“We were excited to get to play ‘You’ in
Dallas’ memory and send the message of a
love for marching band from coast to coast,”
said Henley.
They also reached out to build a friendship
with Suburban Legends, Cook’s high school
marching band director and his family,
and invited them to Bandfest. After all,
the parade’s theme for 2011 was “Building
Dreams, Friendships and Memories.” After
the show, the band presented the Cooks with
a WCU clock, and Cook’s father, Carlton,
said his son would have loved seeing the
Pride perform. “It was so moving and very
powerful,” said Cook. “It was really nice
they were last, because no band would want
to follow that. When they came on – the
mere size – they blew everybody away with
just the intensity of the music and how well
the sound came out. It’s hard to get good
sound when you are moving around. They
just did it so wonderfully.”
Two days later, the sight of so many people
at the parade, especially as the band turned
the sharp, 110-degree turn onto Colorado
Boulevard, was incredible, members said.
Whitney Hinceman, a senior piccolo player
from Mooresville, described the excitement
and the interaction – how parade-goers
would run out to take pictures with the band
or kids would warn them not to step in horse
droppings. Every member of the Pride who
started the Rose Parade finished, still fired
up, said Buckner.
Betty Allen ’68, president of the WCU
Alumni Association, said the Pride’s
performance in the parade exceeded her
high expectations. “I was just in awe,” said
Allen, who later joined friends, alumni and
family lining the hallway at the band’s hotel
to greet members with a welcome worthy
of champions. Richard Huffman, a senior
trombone player from Hickory, described
the entire experience as an amazing way to
finish his marching band career. “It’s been
really emotional, seeing everyone clapping
when we got back,” said Huffman. “We’re
always going to be able to say ‘I was in the
Rose Parade. I remember that corner. I
remember seeing those people.’ I will always
have that.”
The day before visiting Santa Monica (above left, top and bottom), band members spotted a big green celebrity in Hollywood.
4 | Pride of the Mountains
Wet to the bone, Hayesville resident Phil
Honsinger climbed to the top of the west-side
stands of E.J. Whitmire Stadium after
a rainy, windy football game to record the
Pride of the Mountains Marching Band’s last
show in 2006. “I was shaking as I filmed,”
said Honsinger, who felt the real blow later
when someone else was introduced as
the band’s “No. 1 fan.” “I thought, ‘Wait
a minute, I’m the No. 1 fan.’ After all, this
was my 68th consecutive videotaping of the
Pride of the Mountains,” he said.
Honsinger first saw the Pride perform in 1996
at his son’s high school band competition.
“You would have thought Hayesville’s band
had just won the Super Bowl the way they
reacted when the horns from the Pride of
the Mountains let it rip,” said Honsinger.
“Man, what a show.” When daughter Lauren
Honsinger ’07 joined the Pride, his fandom
escalated into an obsession that continues
today, he said. He made a point to attend
shows – big or small, planned or last-minute,
near or far. Honsinger went to exhibitions in
Indianapolis, as well as to Pride performances
at high schools throughout the region. At a
special weeknight performance planned
NO.1
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
Phil Honsinger, with daughter Lauren Honsinger ’07 in Los Angeles, calls the band’s
Rose Parade performance ‘the time of my life.’ Photo courtesy of Jimmy Honsinger
for a few dozen guests from the University
of North Carolina Board of Governors in
2008, assistant director Matt Henley ’93
MA ’95 walked in the dark, mostly empty
stadium to prepare when he was surprised
by a shadowy figure. “It scared me, and I
stopped in my tracks,” said Henley. “Then I
heard Phil say, ‘Hey Matt.’ I just laughed out
loud. I said, ‘You really are the No. 1 fan.’ It’s
extremely cool to have people like Phil who
are so dedicated to the band.”
A dedicated Honsinger traveled to Califor-nia
with family for the Tournament of Roses
Bandfest – a show he worried he might miss
because of a bus breakdown. He calmly
told tour company officials that he was the
Pride’s No. 1 fan (although he admits there
are other obsessed Pride fans, too.) “I asked
them, ‘Do you know how one gets to be the
No. 1 fan?’ They just looked at me with blank
faces. I told them about the 137 consecutive
marching band shows and about how today
was going to be the 138th show. I asked them
if the bus would be coming in time to keep
the string going. I said, ‘I know there will
come a time when I will not make it to watch
the Pride of the Mountains shows. I know
there will be a time when my string will
end.’” The tour company manager replied,
“Not on my watch will you miss a show,”
said Honsinger, who made it to Bandfest
in time.
Two days later, he faced a 3 a.m. wake-up
call, packed crowds and scarce bathrooms
to get to the stands at the Rose Parade.
The cheering for the Pride had never been
louder, and the group had never looked
quite as bold as they did that day, he said.
“The gold was gleaming in the sunlight
and their instruments were polished to a
sparkling shine,” said Honsinger. “When
our band marched by, it was such a climax
to the season, and it was over far too quickly.
It was the time of my life.”
fan
Band supporter
keeps string alive
with California
performances
Rose Parade 2011 | 5
Summer music camp at Western Carolina
in the 1960s captivated a high school-aged
Bob Buckner ’67, confirming his belief
that his decision to play football instead
of joining the band in seventh grade
was a huge mistake. Fortunately, for the
thousands of students who would someday
march under Buckner’s direction, and
for the band that has achieved national
prestige under his leadership, he remedied
the situation at the first opportunity. “They
needed someone big enough to carry the
bass drum in the Canton Labor Day Parade,
and my friends drafted me,” said Buckner, a
native of Waynesville. “By the time I was in
10th grade, I loved the sounds I was hearing
when I walked in the band room. I loved the
atmosphere and the people.”
When Buckner enrolled at Western
Carolina, he was intent on becoming a band
director. Classmates and friends such as
John Anderson ’67 MAEd ’71, who played in
jazz band and marching band with Buckner,
had no doubt that he would – and that he
would succeed. As a musician, Buckner had
the skill to “triple-tongue” a tuba, Anderson
said. As a student, Buckner asked in-depth
After success at the Tournament
of Roses, WCU’s longtime
band director surveys his career
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
PARADE
REST
questions about even the smallest markings
in the music. As a friend, he was fun and
serious – the kind not only to joke around
but also to have long conversations about life.
Even before graduation, Buckner landed
his first job as a band director when he was
asked to fill in temporarily at Sylva-Webster
High School. He had 12 students on the first
day, and three dropped out after Buckner
shared his vision for the group – a vision
that one student told him seemed a lot like
work. For Catherine Dillard ’87, one of
his first students, it was work but also a
life-defining experience, she said. When
Dillard graduated, the band had grown to
about 50 members. Marching band styles
were changing, and Buckner introduced a
less traditional, more artistic style to the
group. Six years after he took the helm, the
band claimed honors in a Festival of States
competition. Seven years after that, it became
the smallest group to be named the nation’s
best at a Bands of America competition.
Buckner left Sylva-Webster to work full
time at his band design and consulting firm,
United Music Enterprises. He worked across magazine.wcu.edu
6 | Pride of the Mountains
the nation and in Canada and Europe as a
drill designer, guest conductor or clinician.
Clients ranged from the Marine Drum and
Bugle Corps to the Walt Disney Co. He
served the Bands of America organization
– judging competitions, helping develop
national events and competition formats,
and serving as symposium faculty and
member of a range of committees. “Bob’s
fingerprints are all over Bands of America,”
said Scott McCormick from BOA in
recognizing Buckner in 2005 during his
induction to the organization’s Hall of Fame.
In 1991, WCU offered him a job directing
the marching band, but Buckner had already
committed to a job at East Tennessee State
University. He thought he would have to
say no, but as he and wife Donna examined
practice and performance times, they
realized that the ETSU and WCU schedules
did not overlap. So Buckner, a father of
five, directed both – maintaining a hectic
working and commuting schedule, one not
necessarily unwelcome as he coped with the
grief of losing son Michael to a fatal heart
attack.
Among Buckner’s goals was to build on
the family atmosphere he had come to love
as a member of Western Carolina’s band
in the 1960s, and that’s what it’s like today,
said Billie Jeanne Curns, a senior music
education major from Hayesville. “He
knows people in band by first name, which
is huge because there are 400 of us,” said
Curns, part of a student leadership program
so strong Buckner occasionally jokes he’s
not sure the group needs directors. “No
matter how hard a practice is, we know he’s
there for us. He has an open-door policy,
and students come in just to talk to him.”
Another goal was to transform the band
into a sophisticated rock ’n’ roll group. “My
idea was to develop a band that everyone
is going to relate to in some way – with
a lot of movement, choreography and
really good arrangements of music people
will recognize,” said Buckner. The group
incorporated nontraditional marching
band elements, such as electric guitars and
vocalists, and earned a reputation as “the
world’s largest funk-rock band.”
Membership grew in two decades from fewer
than 90 members to more than 400, thanks
to tremendous support from fans such as
Chancellor John W. Bardo. The chancellor,
who was instrumental in changing the
group’s name from the Marching Cats to
the Pride of the Mountains, would conclude
his band pep talks by asking, “What band
is this?,” prompting the response “The best
damn band anywhere!” “And don’t you
forget it!” Bardo would say.
Prior to the 2011 Rose Parade, the band had
performed five times at Bands of America
regional championships at the Georgia
Dome and three times at BOA Grand
Nationals in Indianapolis. It has played at
halftime at an Atlanta Falcons game and
its drumline took the stage with country
music’s Keith Urban. In 2009, the band
received the Sudler Trophy, which the Sousa
Foundation says it awards to “collegiate
marching bands of particular excellence
that have made outstanding contributions
to the American way of life.” Meanwhile for
Buckner, MENC: The National Association
for Music Education in 2005 honored him
as a Lowell Mason Fellow, and Drum Corps
International and MENC in 2009 presented
him with the Excellence in Marching Music
Education Award.
With retirement in July, Buckner is looking
forward to devoting more time to other
interests, particularly his six grandchildren
(although some of them are sad this is the
last year “Bobbo” will have his own band).
For Buckner, the sense of so many “lasts” –
the last football game, the last rehearsal, the
last field show, the last performance – did
not sink in until the Rose Parade.
“I remember looking at the memorial flag we
carried in the parade and being so glad we
had done that – that we carried the memory
of those students with us,” said Buckner of
the band’s purple-and-white flag with one
star each for the five students who have died
while members of the band. “I remember
From left, Bob Buckner ’67 and band member
Lizzie Morantz ’10, who came to WCU from
Illinois to work with Buckner, share a laugh during
a 2008 band rehearsal; Buckner takes the stand
during a Catamount football halftime show; and
Buckner celebrates the band’s 2009 Sudler Trophy
with assistant band directors Matt Henley ’93 MA
’95 and Jon Henson ’05 MA ’07. Just a couple of
softies, Buckner and Paws (opposite page) share
a cuddle.
looking across the street and seeing Donna
walking on the other side, and thinking how
special it was that we got to share that and
how much she has contributed to the band,
much that only members of our staff and
color guard would ever know. (Assistant
band directors) Matt Henley ’93 MA ’95
and Jon Henson ’05 MA ’07 and I tried to
keep eye contact through the parade, and I
remember thinking how incredible it was
that we had such a great team of people
who care like I do, who really have invested
themselves in the university and in the
students. I remember thinking about my
high school directors and my college band
director and thinking how cool they would
have thought this was, and how they had
contributed to my life.”
At the band banquet just hours after the
parade, students shared how Buckner had
contributed to theirs. Keith Marwitz, a
senior tenor saxophone player from Indian
Trail, remembered his talk with Buckner
after showing up late. “I have never been
late again,” Marwitz said. Drum major Amy
Shuford from Waynesville recalled how she
was rehearsing years before she came to
WCU when Buckner approached and said
he wanted her in his band. “I just want to
let you know I still have your business card
in my wallet,” said Shuford. Band alumna
Kate Murphy ’06, who works at WCU and
instructs the color guard, read a letter she
wrote to Buckner in which she said the band
makes her heart explode with purple and
gold. “You make nonband people fall in love
with us,” said Murphy.
Rose Parade 2011 | 7
The Tournament of Roses Parade crowds
dispersed and traffic resumed on Pasadena’s
Colorado Boulevard shortly before noon
New Year’s Day. Spirited marching along the
parade route was over, but a virtual battle of
the bands was about to begin online.
Within the hour, television station KTLA
of Los Angeles was inviting visitors to its
website to choose their favorite Rose Parade
band from the roster of 23 units from across
the nation that had performed. Anyone with
Internet access and a computer, cell phone
or other digital device could click and cast
a vote.
KTLA hosted online voting for best float in
previous years, but this was the first favorite
band competition. “We wanted to create
something fun for the bands, especially
because the floats usually grab most of the
attention,” said Jeremy D. Horowitz, senior
producer for digital media at KTLA-TV.
The poll’s popularity far exceeded expecta-tions
of the station, which kept it open for
three days and received a total of 178,721
votes. WCU’s Pride of the Mountains
claimed an early lead – and 40 percent of the
total votes – despite gains by All-Birdsville
ISD Marching Band of Haltom, Texas, in
Social media helps Pride of Mountains claim ‘best band�� title
By CHRISTY MARTIN ’71 MA ’78
Viewer’s Choice Original photo courtesy of Jolesch Photography
the suspenseful final hours before the poll
was closed and WCU’s band declared best in
the parade.
“WCU had more than 72,000 votes. That’s
more than the total votes cast in any of
our previous float polls. I know Texas
boasts about making things big, but clearly
some things in Cullowhee are even bigger,”
said Horowitz.
Moments after the poll opened, WCU’s
public relations staff members posted links
to KTLA’s poll on social media websites,
including Facebook and Twitter, and
roseparade.wcu.edu, a university Web page
created to host band updates and news. They
also alerted regional news media,
including the Asheville Citizen-
Times, Smoky Mountain News
and WLOS-TV in Asheville,
which in turn posted links on
their own websites taking visitors
directly to the voting site, with
reporters sharing the links
through their own Facebook and
Twitter accounts.
Statistics aren��t available on where
the votes actually came from, but
there’s no doubt that the massive
show of support for WCU’s band came about
because of online conversations back home
in North Carolina while the poll was under
way in California. Networks of friends
and friends of those friends adroitly used
Facebook and Twitter to get out the vote.
Sarah Kucharski of Canton, who grew up
in Cullowhee and has close ties to WCU,
was among the fans who monitored the
poll closely, crafting Facebook posts and
Twitter tweets to encourage potential voters.
“Ultimately, our band won because enough
people cared and wanted to make this
happen for its members,” Kucharski said.
“That’s the sweetest victory of all.”
WCU’s online social networks
Become a fan at
www.facebook.com/westerncarolinauniversity.
If you attended WCU and want to find out about
reunions and other events for alumni, go to
www.facebook.com/wcualumni.
Other WCU sites are www.twitter.com/wcu and
www.youtube.com/westerncarolinau.
8 | Pride of the Mountains
magazine.wcu.edu
Music faculty members
say farewell to an old
friend in a bid to become
an ‘All-Steinway School.’
An old friend of the School of Music is retiring after
decades of service to the university community. This time,
we’re not talking about Robert Holquist, the longtime
director of choral activities stepping down from behind the
podium this year, or Bob Buckner ’67, who is hanging up
his marching shoes after leading the Pride of the Mountains
Marching Band to the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade.
(See related story on special section page 6.)
The retiree in question is an older Steinway model that
has been providing musical accompaniment for music
faculty, student and ensemble recitals for the past 34 years.
Taking its place on stage is a recently obtained instrument
made by acclaimed manufacturer Steinway & Sons, widely
regarded for crafting the finest pianos in the world. The
9-foot “D” concert grand piano is the first new piano of any
kind for the School of Music in more than 23 years, said P.
Bradley Ulrich, professor of music.
“We are hoping this will be the first of many new pianos in
the School of Music as we hope to someday become the first
‘All-Steinway School’ in the University of North Carolina
system. This would truly be a mark of distinction,” said
Ulrich. As the name implies, institutions are designated
as All-Steinway Schools for using only pianos designed by
Steinway & Sons, from the practice room to the recital hall.
THE IVORIES TOWER
The latest addition to the School of Music goes by the name of ‘Steinway’
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
The designation would entail replacing approximately 50
pianos with Steinway or models from the Steinway line.
The piano was scheduled to give its concert debut
performance this winter in a concert titled “Steinway
Our Way,” featuring a variety of musical styles with WCU
faculty pianists. Proceeds from ticket sales from the concert
and contributions from friends of the School of Music go
toward the newly established Steinway Piano Fund. The
fund is designed help the School of Music in its goal of
becoming an All-Steinway School, said Robert Kehrberg,
dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. “Our
faculty and students provide more than 250 cultural events
annually through concerts, master classes and engagement
activities within the communities they serve, and they
deserve the finest instrument available,” Kehrberg said.
“The faculty have international professional credentials
and work as performing artists within the region, across
the state and nationally. They are the finest musicians I have
ever worked with.”
To learn how to contribute to the Steinway Piano
Fund, contact Meg White, director of development,
at 828.227.3343 or mawhite@wcu.edu.
Winter 2011 | 25
Bobby Moranda’s mantra nowadays is a combination of
Larry the Cable Guy’s “git-r-done” and the Lowe’s home
improvement company’s “let’s build something together.”
Moranda, preparing for his fourth season as Western
Carolina’s head baseball coach, is directing a massive
renovation of Childress Field/Hennon Stadium worthy of
an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home (Plate) Edition.”
“The renovation project is critical to the future success of
our proud baseball program,” Moranda said. “The appearance
and functionality of the playing field and stadium are what
recruits want to see first and use to gauge a program. It can
be a source of pride for players, fans and the community.”
Although WCU’s baseball facilities once were the envy of the
Southern Conference, opposing programs have upgraded
with modern, attractive places to play, he said.
“When we have brought prospects on campus in the
past, we would take them to the new dining hall, Campus
Recreation Center, Hinds University Center and the new
residence halls – which all are gorgeous – and then the last
stop would be the baseball stadium, which did not make the
same type of impression as the remainder of our campus,”
he said.
Moranda and his wife of 17 years, Pamela, started the
renovation project when they awoke on July 10 and agreed
that “something has to be done about the baseball facility.”
Later that day, they began working in the dugouts, ripping
out the rotting, molding carpet and adding fresh paint.
Since then, the project has taken off with involvement from
the corporate level to individuals who have contributed
finances, materials, and time and talent, said Chip Smith,
director of athletics. “Coach Moranda has done a superb job
in jump-starting these much-needed improvements to our
baseball facility,” said Smith. “We appreciate the financial
support and leadership roles of the many people who helped
make this renovation project a reality.”
the power of purple one goal
field day
Bobby Moranda mounts a major
renovation of WCU’s baseball facilities,
with a little help from his friends
By steve white ’67
magazine.wcu.edu
26 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Following the dugouts upgrade, the entire stadium was
painted to make the old block work resemble red brick and
trimmed with ivy green paint that matches the new roofing
throughout the stadium. Next was new lower-level seating,
as the stadium was moved 14 feet closer to home plate to
accommodate two rows of new chair-back seats. A 36-inch
wall now extends between the dugouts in front of new Yankee
Stadium-style slatted seats. Major League-style chair-back
seats will replace old chairs in the grandstand, and the metal
bleachers will be covered with molded plastic seating.
In addition, a new Major League-quality backstop net
stretches 156 feet in front of the grandstand seating, and the
rusted grandstand roof has been replaced. The concession
stand and rest rooms have been repainted and roofed in the
red brick and ivy green color scheme, and the batting cage
roof has been replaced. Dugout benches have been replaced,
new protective netting installed, and new bins built for
storage. A 48-inch brick wall will stretch from each dugout
to the outfield fence down the left- and right-field lines. A
“batter’s eye” has been attached to the center-field fence and
the “Purple Monster” in left field has been repainted.
Moranda also has several other projects either under
way, in the planning stages or on his radar. They include
a courtyard behind the third-base seats that will feature a
sitting wall, pavers, planters, outdoor grill and extensive
landscaping; refencing of the entire facility; a brick wall
around the present batting facility; a new pitcher training
area; a wrought iron and red brick entrance; and an earth
berm viewing area outside the right-field fence for WCU
students. In addition, the chair back seats removed from
the grandstand area will be repainted ivy green and placed
along the right-field line. The history of WCU baseball will
be depicted with a series of large mural-type posters that
will adorn the grandstand entrance areas. On the wish list
is a clubhouse that will house a locker room, offices, player
lounge, legacy room, weight room and video room.
“There are so many who had a hand in this project by
stepping up to the plate with their expertise, donation of
materials, labor, cooperation and financial backing,” said
Moranda, who singled out Dave Steed ’73, retired Lowe’s
Inc. senior vice president for general merchandising, as a key
player. “He was behind the donation of a staggering amount
of building material and supplies, and got numerous vendors
to supply everything from paint to bricks to roofing. I got to
know everyone at the Sylva and Franklin Lowe’s stores on a
first-name basis.”
The renovation project would not be possible without
the contributions of many businesses and individuals,
including assistant coaches, players, benefactors, WCU staff
and members of the 1002 Club, the boosters organization
formed to help the Catamount baseball team reach the
College World Series, played 1,002 miles from Cullowhee in
Omaha, Neb.
“We don’t have to have the biggest facility, but we want a
first-class facility that everyone involved with WCU and its
baseball program can be proud of,” Moranda said. “I think
we are on our way to achieving that goal.”
Coach Bobby Moranda and
wife Pamela (opposite), in
upgraded stands, initiated
the stadium renovation.
Above, clockwise from top
left, Moranda and Mackie
McKay, a contractor who
helped with the project; the
stadium before and after
200 gallons of brick red and
ivy green paint; upgrades to
the batting cage; building a
wall down the first baseline;
laying a walkway behind the
stadium; and ticket office
roofing that matches the
color scheme of other new
buildings on campus.
Winter 2011 | 27
pals for the
long run
An enduring friendship is the
impetus behind a new endowed
scholarship fund for WCU’s
track and cross country programs
By randall holcombe
the power of purple one goal
The late Terry Helms ’73 was Western Carolina’s first big
running star. A native of Kannapolis, Helms ran track and
cross country in Cullowhee from 1968 through 1972. “Terry
was the superstar on our first cross-country team in 1968,”
said university sports historian Steve White ’67. “In that
first season, he won nine of the 11 meets the team entered,
set five course records and led the Catamounts to a 25th-place
finish in the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics national championship meet. He single-handedly
put WCU on the national cross-country map.”
Helms continued his running rampage over the next
three seasons. In 1969, he won five meets, set three course
records, led WCU to the NAIA District 6 championship
and finished sixth in the national championship meet,
becoming the Catamounts’ first All-American in cross
country. Another District 6 championship followed in
1970, with the Catamounts finishing 15th in the national
championship meet, and the team recorded a 13th-place
national finish the following year. On the track and field
side, Helms won 15 individual championships in four
seasons and helped lead the Catamounts to three district
championships, White said.
An education major, Helms went on to a 32-year
teaching career, including 26 years at Ledford Middle
School in Thomasville. He retired in 2007 and died in 2008
after contracting mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
Now, to honor Helms’ impact on WCU’s track and cross
country programs and their longtime friendship, a former
teammate and roommate from Helms’ years at WCU,
Gaither Keener ’72, and his wife, Beverly Keener, have
created an endowed scholarship fund that will benefit WCU
athletes for perpetuity.
Gaither Keener ’72 (above,
second from right) and his
wife have created an endowed
scholarship in memory of the
late Terry Helms ’73, a WCU
track and cross country standout
(opposite page). With Keener
are (from left) Brian Frerking,
WCU associate athletic director;
Olivia Jacobs, the scholarship’s
first recipient; and coach Danny
Williamson ’84 MAEd ’86.
28 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Danny Williamson ’84 MAEd ’86 has an undeniable knack
for influencing young people, as evidenced by the 18 Southern
Conference track and field championship trophies his teams
have hoisted in his 25 years as Western Carolina University’s
most successful head coach. Add making friends in high places
to his list of talents, as Williamson has piqued the interest of
one of the nation’s most benevolent track and field fans and a
top supporter of higher education in North Carolina.
Irwin “Ike” Belk and the Belk Foundation recently issued
Williamson and WCU’s track and field program a check in
the amount of $100,000. Williamson has written Belk (inset,
receiving an honorary doctorate from WCU in 1999) for several
years to thank him for his support of track and field in North
Carolina, and would occasionally include WCU apparel. “Last
summer, I asked about the possibility of financial support
and he responded with a wonderful gift,” Williamson said.
“Mr. Belk’s generosity will allow us to continue to grow our
scholarship program, purchase new equipment and generally
enhance our program in many areas.”
Belk, retired president of the Belk Inc. retail chain, former
member of the University of North Carolina Board of
Governors and a former member of North Carolina’s Senate
and House, has donated millions to colleges and universities
in the Carolinas. Belk’s latest is the fourth substantial gift to
WCU. The Carol Grotnes Belk Building was named to honor
his wife, followed by the establishment of the $1 million Carol
Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professorship in Commercial and
Electronic Media. Another gift commissioned the Catamount
sculpture that sits at the main entrance of the campus.
Belk’s affection for track and field led him to assist with
the building of more than 100 track and field facilities around
the nation. He also has donated millions to the United States
Olympic Committee and has served on that governing board.
on track
Irwin Belk makes a
contribution to WCU’s
athletics program
By steve white ’67
The Terry M. Helms Endowed Scholarship Fund will
provide scholarship support for one WCU track or cross
country distance runner each year. The first scholarship
from the fund was presented in the fall to Olivia Jacobs,
who hails from Helms’ hometown of Kannapolis.
Reflecting on his 40-year friendship with Helms, Keener
recalls more than just Helms’ athletic exploits. Although
Keener and Helms had competed against each other as
high school track athletes, their friendship blossomed in
1968, when they found themselves living on the same wing
of Moore Hall. “Terry was a good Christian person with a
passion for running, dancing and Motown music,” Keener
said. “He always had a smile on his face, and girls loved to
flock around him. Everybody loved Terry.”
Keener and Helms became roommates at WCU, and in
the following decades their friendship continued as Keener
earned a law degree and began his career as an attorney.
Keener now works as the top attorney for Lowe’s, the home
improvement giant based out of Mooresville. “Terry took
me to my first NASCAR race and taught me to play golf. He
was in my wedding, and I was an usher when he married his
wife, Janice (Helms.) Through the years, he always was an
upbeat person, even throughout the illness that ended his
life,” Keener said.
WCU track and cross country coach Danny Williamson
’84 MAEd ’86 said the endowed scholarship fund
established by the Keeners is the program’s second. “This
will be a tremendous asset for our program, and it will
allow us on a yearly basis to pay tribute to one of the best
who ever competed for WCU,” Williamson said.
Winter 2011 | 29
The unsung heroes on the sidelines
and in the press box are some of
WCU’s biggest fans
By christy martin ’71 ma ’78
labor of love Working on the sidelines at Western Carolina University’s
athletic events are a resort manager, media company
president, community college instructor, elementary
schoolteacher, outdoor advertising executive and retired
school system administrator, to name a few. Ranging in
age from barely 30-something to well into their 50s, they
converge on Cullowhee for game days from a variety of
towns west of Asheville.
A tight-knit group with a shared love of Catamount
athletics, they are among WCU’s most vocal fans. They are
the ones at the microphones, making the announcements
carried from high overhead at the football stadium and
courtside in the basketball arena. Listeners who tune in
to games aired on radio stations in the mountain region
and upstate South Carolina and online via the Catamount
Sports Network at www.catamountsports.com know them,
too. Announcers, broadcasters, color commentators and
sidelines reporters, they’re the unsung heroes of the games.
Long before the players, coaches and spectators arrive,
sideline workers are already in the press box busy with
preparations, from practicing the pronunciation of players’
names to writing scripts for the public-address system to
testing microphones and video equipment. There are dozens
of chores, and they are tireless workers, devoting hundreds
of hours to temporary jobs that most say they’ll never give
up, not for the nominal wage they earn from the athletics
department, but for the chance to be close to the action.
“The majority of us just love WCU and what the athletics
program has done for young people,” said Steven Crumpler
of Penrose, assistant innkeeper of the Swag Country Inn of
Waynesville. “Sometimes it’s athletic ability that has made it
possible for a player to attend college. And they come here,
excel in their sport and go on to greater things.”
Crumpler works as play-by-play announcer for women’s
basketball and is a producer and engineer for football
broadcasts. He became involved with athletics 10 years ago
as a program director on the campus radio station WWCU-FM.
“When I first stepped on campus, WCU became my
team forever,” he said. “I don’t cheer for anybody else.”
Ryan Hipps ’00 of Waynesville and Greg McLamb ’00
of Franklin also worked as students together doing sports
broadcasting at WWCU. Their athletics ties have only grown
stronger through the years. Hipps, who is president of Stress
Free Productions of Waynesville, has been a public-address
announcer for multiple sports. He also produces many
video projects for athletics, including women’s basketball
videos, a coaches’ TV show, “signing day” video coverage,
and segments for the new PurpleVision video scoreboard in
the football stadium.
the power of purple one goal
magazine.wcu.edu
30 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
McLamb, history instructor at Haywood Community
College in Clyde, is the intrepid sidelines reporter, always
ready with a microphone to give updates when there are
player injuries or halftime interviews with coaches. “You
see up close the sweat, tears, and the blood – literally – that
the players are giving in the game. Working on the sidelines
has given me great appreciation for them, for sports and for
Western Carolina,” he said.
In the past 20 years, Phil Woody ’75, language-arts
teacher at Scotts Creek Elementary School in Sylva, has
covered 590 basketball games and 64 football games in
an assortment of roles that have ranged from doing the
football drive-chart records in the 1980s before computers
were available, to public-address announcing for football
and men’s basketball, spotting, radio broadcasting and,
currently, managing the scoreboard clock for basketball.
“It gets really hectic on the sidelines sometimes, but we
help each other out,” Woody said. “Our jobs are a lot of fun,
and every one of them is important.”
Woody is a former radio announcer who in the past
worked with Gary Ayers at WBHN Radio in Bryson City.
Ayers, president of Allison Outdoor Advertising of Sylva, is
known as “The Voice of the Catamounts.” He has been doing
radio broadcasts and public-address announcing for WCU
for more than a quarter century.
Tim Amos ’77 MBA ’82 and Britt Amos ’06, are a father-and-
son team from Asheville whose work was instrumental
in the premiere last fall of the video scoreboard. The elder
Amos, retired assistant superintendent of Asheville City
Schools, is a longtime audio and video hobbyist who
worked as a radio announcer for WCU athletics in the late
1990s. “I’ve been a supporter of Western Carolina forever,
and I always hope for success for the teams,” he said. “I just
enjoy going to the games and working with the great people
over there.”
Daniel Hooker ’01, assistant athletics director for
media relations, said the sidelines workers are one of the
department’s greatest assets. “I’m continually amazed at the
contributions made by so many. They love the university and
enjoy giving back in any way they can. There is no question
that without their dedicated service, we wouldn’t be able to
accomplish all that we do.”
Hooker’s predecessor agrees. “They’re WCU’s greatest
fans,” said Steve White ’67, retired director of sports
information. “It’s in their blood.”
Clyde Simmons ’96 is on the short list of Western Carolina’s greatest
football players. Following a college career in which he led the Catamounts
to their only appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) title game
in 1983, Simmons (right, making a tackle for the Cats) went on to a 15-year
NFL career, compiling 1211/2 sacks as a defensive end while playing with
Philadelphia, Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati and Jacksonville.
He returned in the mid-1990s to earn his degree (left, at commencement
with Chancellor John Bardo) and eventually retired from the NFL in
2000. He worked for a mortgage company and was a probation officer,
content to be away from football. But last year he got the itch to return
and applied for one of the NFL’s minority coaching fellowships. He wound
up with the New York Jets because their coach, Buddy Ryan, was familiar
with Simmons. “He’s an expert. He’s a guy that clearly the players would
look up to and they’d respect,” Ryan recently told the New York Times.
“I had him in Arizona, and he was a leader back then for me when I was
coaching defensive line. I thought he’d bring that to us, and he has. He’s
been outstanding.”
Simmons, 46, works with the Jets’ defensive linemen and has been
credited with helping them become better pass rushers. “I’ve learned a lot
of things just from the little time I’ve been here,” he said. “It’s been a great
working atmosphere. These guys come to work every day. I’ve been in
places where the coaches don’t get along, and it boils over to the players.”
Dennis Thurman, the Jets’ secondary coach, believes Simmons has
a future in coaching. “They know you from when you played, but they
don’t know your skill set as a coach,” Thurman said of the merits of the
fellowship. “You’re a name, but you’re not someone that coaches have had
the opportunity to work with. But he does have a measure of respect. They
know who he is. If you do not know who he is, then you’re not a real
football fan.”
Steve White ’67, former sports information director for Western
Carolina, is thrilled Simmons is back in the NFL, and that Simmons has
been good to his alma mater. “He bought a complete set of uniforms (solid
purple) for the team in the mid-90s,” White said. “He also contributed
significantly to several special projects and a scholarship fund.”
Simmons said in the New York Times story he will stay as long as the
Jets will have him. Four NFL head coaches are graduates of the minority
fellowship: Marvin Lewis of Cincinnati, Raheem Morris of Tampa Bay,
Lovie Smith of Chicago and Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh. “It’s a great way
of getting on-the-job training,” Simmons said. “It builds your résumé.
But I’m also enjoying what I’m doing.”
Used in edited format with permission of the Asheville Citizen-Times.
running the option
A former Catamount standout gets his foot
in the NFL coaching door through a minority
fellowship program
By bob berghaus
Clockwise from bottom left, Britt Amos ’06 and his father, Tim Amos
’77 MBA ’82, helped premiere the video scoreboard; Steven Crumpler
works for women’s basketball and football; Greg McLamb ’00 is a
sideline reporter; and Ryan Hipps ’00 produces videos and works the
PA for multiple teams.
Winter 2011 | 31
alumni
Achievements
The university has profited from CFO Chuck Wooten’s three decades of service
By jill ingram ma ’08
long-term investor
32 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
When Joe Carter, WCU’s longtime chief financial
officer, announced his retirement in 2000, Chancellor John
Bardo had a clear understanding of what he wanted in the
university’s next vice chancellor for administration and
finance. “I was absolutely committed to doing a national
search, and I was 99 percent sure we would never hire
anyone from inside Western Carolina to be the next finance
officer, because we needed to really think differently about
how we did finance,” Bardo said recently.
After a national search, the last man standing was George
W. “Chuck” Wooten ’73, not only an alumnus but a WCU
employee who for two decades had steadily worked his way
up on the business side, and who, in Bardo’s words, “blew
everybody else in the pool away.” Wooten, associate vice
chancellor at the time, remembers thinking, “Well, I’ve
already got 20 years of experience. Why not give me the
chance to move up?” But Wooten, whose “positive mental
attitude” credo – PMA for short – is well-known among
employees, characteristically found a way to appreciate the
employment exercise: “In hindsight, it was confirmation
that my experience was as good as what the other people
were bringing to the table. It validated my being the person
who was selected.”
Wooten retired Jan. 1 after a decade of unparalleled
growth at WCU, accompanied by a rise in applications,
enrollment and quality of education. During Wooten’s
time as vice chancellor, fueled by millions in state bond
money and locally approved debt, WCU doubled the size
of its campus with the purchase of 344 acres as part of the
Millennial Initiative; built the Fine and Performing Arts
Center, Campus Recreation Center, Courtyard Dining Hall
and five residence halls; and made improvements to every
athletic facility on campus. So rapid was the development
that Bardo, speaking at an October ceremony to honor
Wooten with the university’s Distinguished Service Award,
recalled returning from a two-week vacation to find that
“Chuck had moved a road.”
Helping develop WCU’s master plan is a career highlight
for Wooten, but he calls the “relationships and friendships”
the best part of his job. His colleagues return the love.
Through the most difficult times – budget cuts, tight
deadlines, staff turnover, implementing new systems –
Wooten always maintained the highest standards, a calm
demeanor, and his beloved PMA, said Jeanine Newman,
WCU’s former associate vice chancellor for financial
services. “We used to laugh about it, but he really lived
that. He modeled it, and that’s contagious,” said Newman,
recently named vice chancellor of finance at Sowela
Technical Community College in Lake Charles, La. She
claims Wooten as a mentor, and they both claim Carter, with
whom Wooten worked for 20 years. Succeeding Wooten on
an interim basis is internal auditor Robert Edwards ’77.
Wooten arrived at WCU as a student after a neighbor
suggested he consider attending. He met his wife at WCU,
Kathy Goforth Wooten ’72, a cheerleader, whose two
sisters, Nancy Goforth Carson ’74 and Cheryl Goforth
White ’86, and their husbands, Joe Carson and Mike White
’84, also attended.
Wooten returned to WCU as an employee after working
as an accountant in the N.C. Department of State Treasurer
and then, from 1975-80, as finance officer and then as
manager of Iredell County, a demanding position that
required late nights and early mornings. “There just never
was enough time for anything except work,” said Wooten,
whose daughter was born in 1978. (In the midst of work
and family, Wooten completed a master’s degree in public
administration at Appalachian State University in 1979.) An
ad in the Charlotte Observer for controller at WCU caught
Wooten’s eye. “The idea of returning to Cullowhee was
attractive to both Kathy and me,” he said.
Wooten’s commitment to WCU is matched by his
commitment to community. He is active with Cullowhee
United Methodist Church and the Cullowhee Parks and
Community Association and serves on the Tuckaseigee
Water and Sewer Authority, the board of Givens Estate
in Asheville and the advisory board for the Sylva State
Employees Credit Union. Upon leaving WCU, Wooten
agreed to a six-month interim position as Jackson County
manager, and he looks forward to similar assignments
ahead. “I don’t plan on going home and propping my feet up.
I’m going to do something, but it’s going to be the things I
want to do,” he said. The interim position is a good fit for her
husband, said Kathy Wooten, who retired as a kindergarten
teacher at Fairview Elementary School in Sylva. “He really
had many reservations about retiring, and it took him a long
time to decide on it. With so much good knowledge that he
has, he would want to share it,” she said.
Part of what prompted Wooten’s retirement from WCU
is what prompted him to seek the job in the first place:
his family. Daughter Sally Wooten and her husband,
Kevin Queen ’98 MSA ’09, are parents to twin 3-year-old
daughters, Ella and Mattie. “Chuck’s life totally changed
when he became a grandfather as far as what I saw him
get joy from,” Kathy Wooten said. “I fell in love with him
all over again, seeing him embrace those two little girls.
It’s really been special to watch.” Spending time with his
granddaughters, who live in Burke County, before they
enter school is a priority for Wooten, as is influencing their
decisions related to higher education. “We’re going to work
really hard on Ella and Mattie to see if they can be future
Catamounts,” he said.
Chuck Wooten ’73 says
enjoying more time with his
family (opposite), including
wife Kathy Wooten ’72 and
granddaughters Mattie (left)
and Ella Queen, is a priority
in retirement. As vice
chancellor of administration
and finance, Wooten was part
of a WCU building boom that
included the Courtyard Dining
Hall, where he spoke at the
opening reception (above).
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 33
What particularly moved Carol Fowler Durham ’76
during her father’s multiple hospitalizations as he battled a
rare connective tissue disease was the way the nurses cared
for him. “They were making a difference in the lives of not
only my father, but also my mother and, in turn, all of us,”
said Durham, who was 13 when her father died. “So for as
long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse.”
She earned her degree in nursing at Western Carolina and
became a practicing nurse, which led her to another calling.
Durham, who now holds a master’s degree and doctorate,
is an internationally known, award-winning teacher and
leader in the field of nursing education. “My undergraduate
education at WCU prepared me to be a change agent,
to be passionate about patient care and to influence the
profession,” she said.
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School
of Nursing, Durham is a clinical professor. She has served as
director since 1988 of the Education-Innovation-Simulation
Learning Environment, an award-winning project that is
shifting the focus in nursing education from body mechanics
to safe patient-handling and movement. In addition, she has
been a leader in incorporating human patient simulation

End of an Era
reflections on the
tenure of John Bardo
western
carolina Winter
2011
t h e M a g a z i n e O f W E s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y
Pride to Pasadena
rose parade wrap-up
Special section inside
Think you found a home at WCU?
Actually, you helped build it.
Each time you give to the Loyalty Fund, you provide scholarship support
to our students, ensuring WCU is home for generations to come.
Loyalty Fund | give.wcu.edu | 201 HF Robinson, Cullowhee NC 28723
Winter 2011
Volume 15, No. 1
The Magazine of Western Carolina University is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division
of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University.
Chancellor
John W. Bardo
Vice Chancellor
Advancement and
External Affairs
Clifton B. Metcalf
Managing Editor
Bill Studenc MPA ’10
Associate Editors
Teresa Killian Tate
Jill Ingram MA ’08
Art Director
Rubae Schoen
Chief Photographer
Mark Haskett ’87
graphic designer
Katie Martin
Staff Writers
Ashlea Allen Green
Randall Holcombe
Christy Martin ’71 MA ’78
Steve White ’67
Staff Photographers
Ashley T. Evans
Jarrett Frazier
Calendar Editor
Laura Huff ’03
Production Manager
Loretta R. Adams ’80
Circulation Manager
Cindi Magill
Search for this button throughout the
magazine for stories that feature online
extras – videos, photographs and more,
available ONLY online.
magazine.wcu.edu
western
carolina Table of
Contents
Features
resident status
The campus makeover continues
with the opening of residence halls
moving on up
A $2.5 million federal grant supports
a program for people with disabilities
Special Section
Pride of the Mountains
blossoms at the Rose Parade
Cover story
end of an era
John Bardo prepares to step
down after 16 years as chancellor
Sections
8 News from the
Western Hemisphere
26 WCU Athletics
32 Alumni Achievements
40 Class Notes
46 Calendar
4
14
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18
center of magazine
4 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
resident status
A major campus makeover continues with the opening of twin residence halls
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
With the dedication of new Balsam and Blue Ridge
residence halls, the university equivalent of a “total
remodel” home improvement project is nearly complete. All
that remains now is some major landscaping to tie all the
pieces together.
The transformation of the center of the Western Carolina
campus from a university where a trip from the student
union to the cafeteria often involved dodging heavy traffic
on a busy state road to one with a pedestrian-friendly,
traditional college quad was made possible by the relocation
of Centennial Drive away from the center core of campus
in 2005.
The remodel included a major renovation to A.K. Hinds
University Center completed in 2004 that added 34,000
square feet of space, resulting in a new “living room”
where students could gather out of the classroom. The
Campus Recreation Center, which opened in fall 2008, is a
73,000-square-foot “rec room” featuring an indoor climbing
wall and jogging track, along with a fully equipped fitness
area and two multipurpose courts. The 53,000-square-foot
Courtyard Dining Hall began operations in 2009, giving
students a new “dining room,” with options ranging from
an all-you-can-eat venue with multiple food stations to
a mall-style food court. Now, with the opening of Balsam
The adjoining Blue Ridge
and Balsam residence halls,
united by an archway, ring
a campus center currently
under construction (bottom
left and inset). The campus
center features green spaces,
walkways and a fountain
and is due for completion
by summer.
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 5
Residence Hall in 2009 and Blue Ridge Hall this year
through a $50 million construction project, 800 students
have new bedrooms.
Residents of the new halls include members of WCU’s
Honors College, which also has office space in the ground
floor of Balsam Hall. The residential college for high-achieving
students has grown from 77 students in 1997
to more than 1,400 undergraduates representing all
disciplines. The lower level of Blue Ridge Hall features new
campus conference facilities capable of accommodating
more than 300 people.
Brian Railsback, dean of the Honors College, said that the
new residence halls make an excellent home for his students
and will play a role in helping recruit even larger numbers
of academically gifted students in the years ahead. “These
two impressive residences are a marvel of careful design and
are now home to a vibrant social life. These are important
things, but they are not the most important,” Railsback said.
“Above all, this facility is a place for learning. Working in
the numerous study rooms together in groups, or working
alone in their rooms, students here are doing the research
and creative work initiated by challenges from our faculty.
The students who pass through these halls are becoming
professionals or top candidates for graduate school, set
to make a difference in their world – and much of that
transformation happens right here in the residence.”
The Nov. 30 dedication ceremony also include recognition
of a plaque located on the exterior wall of Blue Ridge Hall
marking the site of Leatherwood Hall, which was leveled to
make room for Blue Ridge, and to honor the contributions
of those for whom the building was named – Therman and
Nell M. Leatherwood. Work is under way on a campus
center, with landscaping, walkways and a circular, zero-depth
fountain being built between the Alumni Tower
and Blue Ridge and Balsam. The majority of the project is
expected to be completed by April or May.
Balsam and Blue Ridge are home to the Honors College and will
play a big part in preparing those students for life after college, said
Brian Railsback (top left), Honors College dean. Students work in
one of Balsam’s multiple lounges and study rooms (top right), while
students Ian Youmans (left) and Adam Ray relax in a Balsam room.
6 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Hundreds of students call the new residence halls Balsam and Blue Ridge home, so it’s only fitting that
photographs by members of the WCU family line the walls.
During the past decade, the university has concentrated on upgrading common spaces in residence halls,
said Keith Corzine ’82, director of residential living. Often this means adding pictures or prints. “It’s a nice
touch, and it makes it feel more like home,” Corzine said. As Blue Ridge and Balsam progressed, “we knew we
wanted to move in that direction.”
Enter Megan Cavanah ’10, a resident assistant at the time the new halls were being built and now a WCU
graduate student in mathematics. Her dad is not only an alumus, Cavanah told Corzine, but is a photographer.
As it turned out, Corzine and Doug Cavanah ’82 were classmates. When Corzine saw Doug Cavanah’s work,
he was sold. “He’s an incredible photographer,” Corzine said.
Ultimately Cavanah, a full-time fine art photographer who lives part time in Franklin, contributed more
than a dozen Western North Carolina nature prints that hang primarily in Balsam. Four large black-and-white photos
hang prominently in the entrance hall to the Blue Ridge Conference Center. “We wanted that space to have a gallery feel,”
Corzine said.
“I am extremely proud that my pictures are hanging there,” said Cavanah, who forgoes digital in favor of a large-format
view camera. “The school has made tremendous progress since I graduated, campus is beautiful, the students seem to be
engaged, and I’m just happy with all that WCU has accomplished.”
Corzine turned to another member of the WCU family, junior communication major and resident assistant Jarrett
Frazier, to round out the photographs. Frazier, a Sylva native, has worked with university photographer Mark Haskett
’87 since his freshman year and commonly turns up with his camera at campus events. Corzine has used Frazier’s work at
open houses and other recruiting events, and also liked Frazier’s nature shots. “He had a nice portfolio to choose from,”
Corzine said. The walkway lounge above the arch connecting the two residence halls is a showcase for a series of Frazier’s
wildflowers.
For printing and mounting the photos (with the exception of Cavanah’s black-and-white images, which he printed
himself), Corzine turned to Tom Frazier ’79, Jarrett’s father and WCU manager of printing, mailing and PAW Print
services, who also helped select photos for display. (Jarrett Frazier’s mother is Vickey Frazier ’75, and his brother is
Patrick Frazier ’07, WCU assistant director of admission.)
“A lot of visioning went into that residence hall project, and it’s really nice when the finished project – which includes
the Doug Cavanah touch and a Jarrett Frazier touch and Tom Frazier imprint – is greater than the vision you had for it,
and that’s how I felt about this project,” Corzine said.
photographic study
The images throughout new residence halls have WCU connections
By jill ingram MA ’08
Photos by WCU student Jarrett
Frazier and Doug Cavanah
’82 (above) hang throughout
the new residence halls. Four
large-scale black-and-white
photos by Cavanah, including
one fittingly titled “Blue Ridge”
(top), hang in the Blue Ridge
Conference Center entryway.
Winter 2011 | 7
Some “boys from Brazil” are setting up a high-tech
enterprise in Cullowhee, but this group of enterprising
South Americans has nothing to do with nefarious plots or
clones of notorious dictators. Instead, this band of Brazilians
is collaborating with Western Carolina’s Kimmel School to
develop new technology that could help wean the nation
from its dependence on petroleum-based power.
The Brazil-based renewable energy corporation Vale
Energy Solutions (Vale Soluções em Energia, or VSE),
agreed this fall to bring the headquarters of its U.S.
operations to WCU to take advantage of faculty resources
BOYS FROM BRAZIL
The Kimmel School teams up with
a South America-based renewable
energy company
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
and laboratory space in the Kimmel School. The public-private
partnership was formalized Oct. 11 when university
and company representatives signed documents hailed by
WCU Chancellor John W. Bardo.
“VSE will benefit from our faculty expertise and other
resources. WCU faculty will benefit from having access to
new high-tech equipment, and WCU students will benefit
from hands-on educational experiences, internships and
international exchange opportunities in Brazil,” Bardo said.
The region and the environment also could be big winners
because of the partnership, he said. “If the project works like
we think it will, we may be able to build a manufacturing
facility to make these new turbines, which could mean as
many as 300 new jobs. We hope those jobs will be in Western
North Carolina.”
The relationship enables VSE and its U.S. subsidiary,
TAO Sustainable Power
Solutions, to work with the
Kimmel School to engineer
a new turbine power system
that runs on renewable
energy sources. TAO occupies
offices located on the second
floor of WCU’s Center for
Applied Technology. “VSE
is interested in developing
this technology to satisfy
a worldwide need: efficient
distributed power generation
from renewable fuels,” said
Robert McMahan, Kimmel
School dean. “Brazil produces enormous amounts of
sugarcane, which is already used to produce automotive
transport fuels for their domestic use. This program will
result in the development and production of systems that
can use these and other renewable fuels to generate power
while also, in some cases, cleaning potable water from
contaminated or brackish sources. The company turned to
us for the expertise to help make this happen.” The company
also plans to use the technology to help bring the world’s
first “green Olympics” to Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
James Pessoa, president and CEO of VSE and TAO, said
the agreement is just the first step in a long-term partnership.
“This is a great honor for me and for VSE to be here to sign
and to celebrate our technological collaboration agreement
for the development of advanced turbines,” Pessoa said.
“I’m certain that this is the starting point of a long-range
and very fruitful collaboration between VSE and Western
Carolina University.” Among possible future projects is a
potential “game-changer” – a turbine that would produce
not only nonpolluting energy but also fresh, drinkable
water from such sources as saltwater, brackish water and
industrial effluent.
Fernando Mauricio Mengele
(top, from left) and Marcos Leal
of Vale Energy Solutions discuss
stress analysis methods with
Monty Graham ’95 MS ’03
of the Kimmel School. Inset,
inventor Karl Stetson (left )
and Caden Painter ’08, a WCU
energy management specialist,
watch a holographic analysis of
a turbine blade.
magazine.wcu.edu
8 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
all’s well
Geology students get
hands-on experiences
with research
that supports the
development of WCU’s
Hydrologic Station
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
Wading into muddy creeks to measure stream velocity
or going out in the rain to gather water samples was about
more than just completing a project for geology students
in a senior seminar research class. Their student-designed
analysis of creeks in the Cullowhee community and how
groundwater and streamwater interact was about being part
of an effort that continues today and could help improve
water quality.
“I realized how much fun it is to actually put into practice
what we learned in class, and how gratifying it was to see a
project that we had designed turn out so well and be used
to help the groundwater evaluation sites be established at
WCU,” said John Hayes ’10, from Chapel Hill. “Water is one
of the most valuable resources we have, and we need to do
more to protect it so it is clean and does not run out.”
Their research not only earned the students an invitation
to present at a national professional meeting but also
proved to be preliminary work on sites that are now part
of the developing WCU Hydrologic Station. As part of the
initiative, WCU has committed to participate in regular
groundwater and streamwater research and monitoring,
and the N.C. Division of Water Quality has installed about
40 shallow groundwater wells around campus at depths
ranging from 5 to 25 feet.
“It is an opportunity to partner with a university
doing work of common interest,” said Ted Campbell, a
hydrogeologist with the N.C. Department of Environment
and Natural Resources. “By working with WCU on this
project, we can leverage our resources to learn more about
groundwater and stream interactions, and water quality
in these settings, which will help us to determine whether
or not current approaches to sampling and permitting are
appropriate and optimally effective.”
Mark Lord, head of WCU’s Geosciences and Natural
Resources Department, said students in the senior
seminar research class are encouraged to focus their work
on regional issues. Classes have focused on such topics as
landslides in Haywood County, paleoclimate analysis of a
wetland in Panthertown, the impact of Dillsboro dam on the
Tuckaseigee River and now, streamwater and groundwater.
“This is a great example of giving students a terrific
learning experience that is authentic and real in which they
collaborate with professionals in a wide variety of disciplines
on research that is important to our region,” said Lord.
“Understanding our groundwater resources is increasingly
important as we see more development and, as we saw in
recent years, with drought conditions that caused wells to
run dry. The more we know, the better informed we will be
in making decisions that affect the quantity and quality of
water in our community.”
The experience helped push Danvey Walsh ’10 to pursue
his master’s degree in hydrogeology at the University of
Nevada in Reno, where he is a research assistant working
on a 3-D geothermal reservoir modeling project. “I really
learned that there is a lack of public education when it comes
to groundwater and water issues,” Walsh said. “I hope this
project can help reach out and inform the community about
where our water really comes from.”
Ted Campbell (far left),
a hydrogeologist with
the N.C. Department of
Environment and Natural
Resources, measures depth
during well installation on
the WCU campus with
student Paul Purnell. Mark
Lord (above left), head
of the WCU Geosciences
and Natural Resources
Department, and geology
students go into the field to
discuss and gather data for
water quality research.
Winter 2011 | 9
The newest additions to WCU’s landscape can withstand
high winds, heavy rain, snow, ice and subzero temperatures,
but won’t survive through the year. Installed in September,
these works of metals, concrete and wood are pieces in a
temporary outdoor sculpture exhibit.
The sculptures are in the courtyard of the Fine and
Performing Arts Center, with each piece specifically chosen
for its site, said Denise Drury, interim museum director.
For instance, “Nucleus of a Raindrop” by Hanna Jubran,
of Grimesland by way of Israel, “is highly detailed, so we
decided to place it near the entrance to the FAPAC box office
so that visitors might have a more intimate experience with
it,” Drury said. “Midden Artifacts,” five concrete mounds
by Brian Glaze of Hendersonville, were placed in the lawn’s
center as if rising from the earth like uncovered relics.
Also part of the exhibit are “Ferrous Oak,” by J. Andrew
Davis of Brevard, a vertical shaft of steel and cast iron;
“Union,” by Deborah LaGrasse of Crawfordville, Fla., two
identical joined aluminum forms; and “Over & Up,” by
Robert Winkler of Asheville, a spiral of cedar and steel that
employs straight lines only.
While the outdoor exhibit is scheduled to end in October,
it comes as part of a master plan to increase public access to
art on campus through exhibits of temporary, permanent,
neighborhood and themed art. An outdoor environment
requires art “that stands out against its surroundings,”
Jubran said. Outdoor art is more accessible to the public and
typically gets more exposure than a piece housed indoors.
When it’s been part of the landscape long enough, “once you
remove it, people will miss it,” he said.
BLOOMING WHILE THEY’RE PLANTED
The art museum exhibits outdoor sculpture, and a fixture leaves his post
By jill ingram MA ’08
Martin DeWitt, founding director
and curator of the Fine Art Museum,
has been a part of the WCU landscape
since before the museum even
opened, and, like public sculpture,
now that he is gone, the WCU and
surrounding communities surely
miss him. “I think the timing is
right for changes,” said DeWitt, who
ended his run in December. Though
his career spans more than 30 years
in museum administration, he is a
painter and sculptor who exhibits his
own work and looks forward to more time in his studio.
DeWitt joined the university in 2003, with the museum
opening in 2005 as part of WCU’s Fine and Performing
Arts Center. He was involved in the museum’s construction,
curated its permanent collection (which grew to more than
1,200 objects) and drafted the blueprint for the facility’s
operation. “Martin has been an outstanding founding
director of the Fine Art Museum,” said Robert Kehrberg,
dean of WCU’s College of Fine and Performing Arts, who
praised DeWitt for defining a vision for the museum and
cultivating it as a cultural destination.
Regional artists have been a museum focus, among them
Harvey K. Littleton, a pioneer of the studio glass movement;
Lewis Buck, who creates paintings and assemblage
pieces; glass artist Richard Ritter; and Mike Smith, who
photographs contemporary Appalachia. DeWitt also
showcased a number of American Indian artists, including
Shan Goshorn, Luzene Hill and Natalie Smith.
Outdoor art is accessible art:
Children play on Brian Glaze’s
“Midden Artifacts” in the
Fine and Performing Arts
Center courtyard. At right,
a detail of the steel and
cast iron ‘Ferrous Oak.’
fineartmuseum.wcu.edu
Martin DeWitt
10 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
It was not the typical Thursday morning for song sparrow IR-IF.
While defending his territory from the song of an intruding male, he
landed in the net of Jeremy Hyman, a biology professor at Western
Carolina University. Held tightly in Hyman’s hand, IR-IF got a set
of ankle bands. Hyman measured the bird’s wing length, tarsus and
beak before putting him in a white bag to weigh him.
Hyman released the bird from his grip, and IR-IF flew to a nearby bush to pick at his new bands with his beak. “He’ll be back
to defending his territory in no time,” Hyman said.
IR-IF is king of the small garden and shrubs a courtyard adjacent to Hoey Auditorium, and is one of the most aggressive
males at WCU. IR-IF’s territory is one of more than 100 on the campus.
Hyman studies 40 of the territories. He researches the behaviors of song sparrows and compares the urbanized population
around the campus to other areas. Hyman has loved bird-watching since he was a kid and learned the art of birding from his
grandpa in New York City. “I didn’t know it could turn into a profession,” he said.
He started teaching at WCU four years ago and spent the summer studying local bird populations on campus. “I
immediately saw these birds were way more aggressive than the ones I’d known before,” said Hyman, who studied the same
species extensively in Pennsylvania.
Hyman measures how aggressive the birds are through playback experiments. He goes into a male’s territory and sets up a
small speaker, which plays the song of another male from his field studies in Pennsylvania.
Each male has a repertoire of about five to 13 songs. During mating season, roughly March to September, they sing the
songs to attract females and hold their turf. Aggressive males will swoop down and chirp lower-pitched songs at the speaker.
Hyman tracks how close the males get to the speaker and how many songs they sing during the experiment.
To make sure the difference is truly between urban and rural populations instead of just between North Carolina and
Pennsylvania sparrows, Hyman has done playback experiments at Purchase Knob, a remote area of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park in Haywood County where the birds encounter few people.
While Hyman has detected broad trends in the aggressiveness of rural versus urban populations, personalities vary between
individual birds — just like they would within a group of people. For example, not all male song sparrows have the boisterous
personality of IR-IF. “You also have these birds that are real wimps year after year,” he said.
Reprinted in edited format with permission of the Smoky Mountain News.
bird brain
Song sparrow behavior strikes a chord as
a research topic for a biology professor
By ELIZABETH JENSEN
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 11
The studies that forensic science
faculty members are planning for
Western Carolina’s new state-of-the-
art DNA sequencers could
help introduce the technology into
crime laboratory casework across
the nation. The university recently
acquired two instruments believed
to generate significantly more DNA
information from a test sample than
the fluorescence-based chemistries
and equipment that have been used
for years in crime laboratories. Before
the new technology can be reliably
used in criminal investigations,
however, exploratory studies must be
conducted. And that’s where WCU
comes in, said Mark Wilson, director
of the forensic science program.
“These instruments are most common in genome
laboratories and have not yet made a debut in forensic
science, but it’s just a matter of time,” said Wilson. “There is
a lot of discussion in the forensic science community about
how to integrate this technology into forensic casework. We
will conduct some of the studies at WCU that are required
for this kind of equipment to be introduced into crime
laboratories so that the benefits of the new technology can
be realized.”
The new instruments use light signals to generate DNA
sequence information on a very fine scale. Specifically, the
equipment’s charge-coupled device, or CCD camera, takes
pictures of light emitted from microscopic wells containing
the DNA sequencing reagents and the DNA template to
be sequenced. The pictures generated resemble a snowy
TV screen, with each pixel representing a separate DNA
sequencing reaction. The small pieces of DNA sequence
are collected and then stitched together using computer
programs to build larger sequences so that investigators
can compare the results with other DNA sequences from a
particular case or a database.
“This approach assists with the difficult task of evaluating
mixtures of different DNA sequences, such as those found
in some evidentiary samples, or those found, for instance,
from a soil sample containing multiple bacterial species
science test
Researchers at WCU
are helping evaluate
the next generation of
DNA sequence analysis
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
from the Great Smoky Mountains,” said Wilson. “There
are a multitude of different uses for this technology that
expand beyond forensic science into widely divergent fields
within biology.”
The sequencer will be available for use in research by
WCU faculty in a range of disciplines, including biology
and chemistry, and students will benefit from becoming
familiar with the equipment, said Wilson. “Our students
will be exposed to a technology that is just now coming into
the forefront,” he said. “They will gain valuable experience
that is not offered in many undergraduate programs,
especially in forensic science.”
The forensic science program also recently received
a $397,098 grant from the National Institute of Justice
to evaluate an emerging method of DNA sequence
analysis using these instruments. The method, called
deep sequencing, can identify minor variations within a
DNA sequence that are present as a small percentage of
the whole. Using deep sequencing information from hair,
mouth and blood samples, WCU’s research will attempt to
reveal whether the forensic field might benefit in making
interpretational changes in some aspects of human DNA
analysis. “This research may have an impact on the number
of interpretations that are currently inconclusive,” Wilson
said. “In other words, it may result in more definitive
conclusions, although this remains to be seen.”
Rebecca Malott ’10 performs
a DNA extraction from
buccal cells with guidance
from Brittania Bintz MS ’06
(background), forensic
research scientist at WCU.
12 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
a FUNDRAISER
with LEGS
The evolving running scene on
campus has a new attraction –
WCU’s first half marathon
By randall holcombe
Runners from across the Southeast will get a chance
to test their leg muscles this spring by participating in
the new Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon. The race will
start from the center of campus at 7 a.m. Sunday, April 3,
and take runners on a scenic 13.1-mile journey through
the Cullowhee Valley and along the Tuckaseigee River
before winding back to WCU. Sponsors are the School of
Health Sciences, and Campus Recreation and Wellness.
Proceeds will be used to support professional development
opportunities for students.
The new race has its roots in WCU’s athletic training
program, which has been sponsoring a 5-K on campus
for five years, said Jay Scifers, former director of athletic
training who is now director of the School of Health
Sciences. The success of the 5-K led to the first Mountain
Jug Run for Research in fall of 2008. Named after the annual
football rivalry between WCU and Appalachian State
University, the Run for Research sends athletic training
students and faculty on a leg-powered relay spanning the
175 miles between Cullowhee and Boone to raise money for
the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Research and
Education Foundation, which awards research grants and
academic scholarships in sports medicine.
The third Run for Research was held in late October,
with each of the 15 runners covering 25 miles of the course
in 5-mile segments, and two or three runners on the road
at any given time. It was a huge accomplishment for the
student runners, many of whom had never run more than
a mile at a time before signing on for the challenge, Scifers
said. The group trained for 10 weeks to get ready, meeting at
6 a.m. four mornings each week to complete training runs
ranging from three to 12 miles. “To see the new runners
complete the Run for Research and then continue running
after the event and adopt a new lifestyle of wellness is
very gratifying,” Scifers said. “In addition to teaching the
students about the value of philanthropy, the event helps
them learn about injury prevention, proper nutrition,
hydration and management of environmental conditions in
athletics.” The Run for Research has been so successful that
WCU’s program won the NATA-REF’s Student Challenge
Award the last two years for raising more money than any
other athletic training program in the nation for the grant
and scholarship program.
Keeping with that theme of encouraging new
runners to get into the sport for fitness and
wellness, organizers of the Valley of the
Lilies Half Marathon are putting extra
emphasis on encouraging new runners
to take on the challenge of running
13.1 miles for the first time, said
Ashley Long, assistant professor of
athletic training. ���A 12-week training
program we developed is being
offered free to all registered runners,
and those who live in the local
area have been taking advantage of
organized group training runs,” she said.
For more information about the Valley of the Lilies
Half Marathon and the free training program, go to
halfmarathon.wcu.edu.
The success of an annual
long-distance benefit run
prompted Cullowhee’s
inaugural Valley of the Lilies
Half Marathon, says Jay
Scifers (fourth from right),
director of WCU’s School of
Health Sciences.
Winter 2011 | 13
14 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
You don’t have to spend much time on Western Carolina’s
campus before noticing its bustling, diverse student body.
Stroll through Hunter Library and you’re likely to see
students of varying ages, ethnicities and races huddled
around tables with coffees, books and laptops. Pop into
Courtyard Dining Hall for a bite to eat and you might meet
a young Muslim student from Saudi Arabia, stand in line
behind a nontraditional graduate student from Raleigh, or
sit across the table from an American Indian student from
the Qualla Boundary. At WCU and elsewhere across the
nation, the student body has become increasingly diverse,
especially during the Generation Y era. Until recently,
however, one group of students was not likely to be seen on
college campuses – people such as Aaron Hoefs, who has a
developmental disability. “I never thought I’d be sitting in
class myself, but I’d always wanted to know what it was like,”
said Hoefs, 26.
Now he can. Thanks to WCU’s University Participant
Program, backed by a $2.5 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education, Hoefs and a handful of other
20-somethings with intellectual and developmental
disabilities now live, study and work part-time jobs at
WCU. They’re experiencing college – much like any college
freshman would – by living in residence hall, eating their
meals at the dining hall, attending classes, studying for
exams and making new friends.
UP Program participants take up to 10 hours of classes
per semester and are part of a decade-long trend to increase
educational opportunities for people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities, which can include cerebral palsy
and some forms of autism. The program is part of a national
movement to include students with such disabilities on
college campuses, said coordinator Kelly R. Kelley ’03
MAEd ’06, whose outspokenness for the inclusion of
students with developmental disabilities at WCU led to the
program’s pilot project three years ago. “Our long-term plan
is to make this an ongoing program at WCU and at other
colleges and universities throughout the state,” said David
L. Westling, UP Program director and the Adelaide Worth
Daniels Distinguished Professor of Special Education.
Organizations such as Think College!, which advocates
postsecondary education for people with intellectual and
other developmental disabilities, contend that until recently
people with such disabilities had limited educational
opportunities after high school. However, as these students
had more inclusive experiences at school and in the
community, they began to dream of attending college, just
like their classmates, siblings and neighbors. Now young
people with intellectual disabilities, with help from families
and educators, are finding ways to make their college
dreams a reality.
The federal government also has stepped up to assist
the college goals of people with intellectual disabilities. To
ensure that students with these disabilities have access to a
college education, Congress approved in 2008 the Higher
Education Opportunity Act, which allows students with
intellectual disabilities to qualify for college loans and work-study
funds.
Although students in the UP Program do not earn college
credit, the program provides two years of customized edu-cational,
social and professional programming previously
unavailable to this population of students. “The program
is designed to work backward based on the student’s post-
UP Program independent-living and employment goals,”
said Kelley.
The UP Program helps students
with developmental disabilities,
including Elizabeth Pritchett
(far left), strolling with program
volunteer Shaneé Sullivan ’10,
participate in all aspects of
campus life. Michael Beasley
(below) was the program’s first
participant and now mentors
new students.
With support from a
$2.5 million federal grant,
the University Participant
Program helps young
people with disabilities
experience college life
By ashlea allen green
Moving on UP
Winter 2011 | 15
A Program of Inclusion
Applicants to the program complete a rigorous admission
process and are required to submit an undergraduate
admission application, résumé and three letters of
recommendation, as well as a video of themselves explaining
their goals and why they’re interested in the program. Staff
from the UP Program and the offices of Admission and
Residential Living meet to review and rate each applicant
based on how much they believe he or she will contribute to
the university.
“The on-campus college experiences of our participants
are fully integrated and inclusive,” Kelley said. “There
are no separate facilities, settings or classes. We recruit
WCU students to provide a natural support system for
participants who are living in residence halls, attending
classes, engaging in social and recreational activities,
becoming involved in student organizations, and
developing friendships and relationships – in other words,
the typical college experience.”
Since the program’s inception, two young men have
completed the program, and four participants – two women
and two men – are currently involved in the program. The
number of participants is expected to double during the
next five years.
Hoefs, whose background includes serving as Haywood
County’s spokesperson for the Special Olympics, is in his
first year of the program and says that his speech class has
been the most difficult. “I got the hang of it after a couple of
weeks with the help of Amanda England, one of the student
volunteers,” he said. “But understanding the professor and
getting up and doing speeches was tough in the beginning.”
On the other side of the classroom podium, faculty also
anticipated a few challenges in the inclusion of UP Program
participants in their classrooms. Peter Savage, assistant
professor in the School of Stage and Screen, had reservations
last semester about whether Anna Grace Davis, an UP
Program participant in his theater appreciation class, would
be accepted by the other students. “I was a little worried that
the other students would not be supportive of her, because
I grew up in a time when students with special needs were
not integrated,” said Savage. “But what I found was that the
students were overwhelmingly accepting and respectful
toward her. That was huge for me.”
Savage said he did not adjust his teaching style for Davis.
“I try to teach different learning styles – auditory, visual,
kinesthetic – for all of my students,” he said. “I hoped that
at least one of those styles would work for Anna.” Savage’s
approach must have paid off; Davis, although shy at first,
memorized her lines and performed well on stage. “When
she was focused, her work was as good as anyone’s,” he said.
This semester, Davis will have to memorize up to 40 lines
in a class performance of a play about high school bullying.
In addition to a busy course schedule, demanding
assignments, and social events and activities, participants
in the UP Program are placed in part-time jobs in areas in
which they’re interested, where they gain not only valuable
job skills but also self-confidence. “They try new things and
succeed,” said Kelley.
Success Stories
Through the program, participants have worked on
campus in offices, greenhouses and the library. Some, like
Elizabeth Pritchett, have even worked off campus. Pritchett
dreamed of finding employment in a day care center, but
was told that her limited reading abilities precluded her
from working in a setting where reading to children was a
core function of the job. That’s when Kelley stepped in and
convinced the center’s staff to take a chance on Pritchett.
The results did not surprise Kelley. “Elizabeth did very well,���
she said. “She even took the initiative to try to implement
part of a behavioral plan at the day care.” Pritchett’s
impressive day care experience led to other meaningful,
hands-on activities, including helping teach small groups
at Cullowhee Valley School, where she assisted in planning
16 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
a unit on farming, supervised groups, and contributed to
lesson plans with fellow WCU students in the class.
Program graduate Michael Beasley, 25, who has worked
as a consultant in the UP Program office mentoring new
participants since the summer of 2010, is another success
story. Beasley, who has cerebral palsy, feels his current job is
a great fit for his skills and interests. “I’d like to stay in this
position for at least five years or until the program runs out
of money,” Beasley said. “In this economy, it sure is hard to
find a job.” A Waynesville native, Beasley was the program’s
first participant, from 2007 until 2009. “I have to toot my
own horn,” he said. “Without me, I don’t think the program
would have gotten off the ground.”
Beasley said that learning how to be independent was
the most important thing he gained from the program.
“The first couple of nights in the dorm were scary, but I got
through it,” he said. “I was surprised by how busy I was, and
I was surprised by how nice everyone was.” Beasley also
recalled how willing facilities management workers were to
install a track system in his Norton Residence Hall room so
that he could get in and out of bed.
Like Beasley, Hoefs found the kindness of fellow students,
faculty and staff to be the most unexpected aspect of his
new life on campus. “I was most surprised by the student
volunteers,” said Hoefs. “I thought that as soon as they found
out that we were people with special needs, they would back
out, but not one has backed out. I realized they were like my
family away from home.”
For more information about the UP Program or to
volunteer, contact Kelly Kelley at 828.550.1990
or kkelley@wcu.edu.
His mother, Connie Hoefs, was relieved to observe
the meaningful friendships her son developed through
the program. “I had been very nervous before he started
the program, not knowing how he would be treated as a
special-needs person. Some people can be so cruel,” she
said. “But he’s made so many friends. It goes beyond school.
Even during the breaks, they were calling, texting and
Facebooking each other.”
Like many college freshmen living away from home for
the first time, UP Program participants experience bouts of
homesickness. They also contemplate what they should do
after college. Hoefs is no exception. “Everyone keeps asking
me what I want to do after college, and I keep telling them
it’s only my first year!” he said.
Hoefs’ mother, however, has a clear idea of her hopes for
her son’s future. “My dreams are that one day he can be
out on his own,” she said. “As every parent with a special-needs
child will tell you, I know I won’t be here forever, so
I want the best for him when I’m no longer here and able to
help him.” She encourages other parents with special-needs
children to allow their children to take part in educational
opportunities like this one. “Don’t hold your child back
because of your fears,” she said. “Let them go. If they don’t
learn to walk, they’ll never learn to run.”
Program participants enjoy
a fully integrated and
inclusive college experience.
UP student Corey Hambrick
(opposite page, top) listens
intently during class while
Aaron Hoefs (bottom) enjoys
a football game with UP staff
member Amber Anderson.
Like other UP Program
students, Anna Grace Davis
(top right) gains skills and
confidence through part-time
work. Here, she catalogs
videotapes in Hunter Library
with program volunteer
Rebekah Norris.
Winter 2011 | 17
18 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
It was just a week or two before John William Bardo,
then provost at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts,
was scheduled to set foot on campus for his first day on the
job as the 10th chancellor at Western Carolina University
when Judy Dowell received an envelope postmarked
“Bridgewater, Mass.” Inside the unexpected delivery was an
artist’s rendering of an approaching storm, with dark clouds
boiling in the heavens, ocean waves whipped into a frenzy
by hurricane-force winds, and bolts of lightning zigzagging
across the horizon. Written below the picture was “Bardo
on the horizon.”
Dowell, who served for 10 years as assistant to Chancellor
Myron “Barney” Coulter and another year as assistant to
Interim Chancellor Jack Wakeley before spending seven
years at the right hand of Bardo, still chuckles when she
harkens back to opening the mail on that day in 1995. “The
picture was sent by an administrator at Bridgewater State
who just thought I would enjoy seeing it. And I did. We all
did,” she said. “The way I interpreted the image was, ‘You
people at Western Carolina better get ready. You’re getting a
ball of fire there, a real bundle of energy.’ I think we all found
out pretty quickly just how true a statement that was.”
Indeed. Who could have predicted the massive winds
of change that have blown through the Cullowhee Valley
over the nearly 16 years since Bardo was named WCU’s
chief executive officer? Under Bardo’s leadership, student
enrollment has grown from 6,500 to more than 9,400, and
with rising enrollment came a building boom unprecedented
in university history. Among the 14 new buildings or major
renovations since 1995 are five residence halls, a dining hall,
the Campus Recreation Center, Fine and Performing Arts
Center, Center for Applied Technology, and an expansion
By bill studenc mpa ’10
of A.K. Hinds University Center. The university added
women’s soccer and softball programs and renovated every
athletics facility on campus, including west-side stands
at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. WCU in 2005 launched the
Millennial Initiative, an ambitious economic development
strategy designed to enable private business and industry
to collaborate with WCU, doubling the size of campus with
the acquisition of 344 acres where a new Health and Human
Sciences Building is under construction.
The university gained national recognition during Bardo’s
tenure for being among the first institutions in the nation
to require students to bring computers to campus and for
adopting innovative tenure and promotion policies that
reward faculty for scholarly activities beyond traditional
teaching, research and service. Western Carolina’s Quality
Enhancement Plan, which emphasizes strong connections
between students’ academic and extracurricular activities,
has been called a national model by higher education
associations. Under Bardo’s watch, WCU created the
residential Honors College, which has grown to become one
of the largest in the country. Over the past 16 years, WCU
has focused attention on sharply increasing admissions
standards and has developed a program in undergraduate
research that consistently ranks near the top in the number
of student presenters at the annual National Conference
on Undergraduate Research. Bardo also made it a priority
to attract top faculty members who are nationally known
experts in their fields. When he first arrived, the university
had no endowed distinguished professorship; today, WCU
boasts 21 that are fully funded.
Bardo, who on Oct. 11 announced his decision to step
down as chancellor at the end of this academic year, also
magazine.wcu.edu
End of an Era
After 16 years on the job,
John Bardo prepares to
step down as chancellor
Winter 2011 | 19
oversaw the first comprehensive fundraising campaign
in university history, which netted $51,826,915 in private
giving for endowed scholarships, professorships and
programmatic support. During his administration, WCU
emphasized the enhancement of student life through the
development of learning communities, student leadership
initiatives, model Greek life programs, and strong attention
to the development and welfare of the whole student.
“You look at all of these things, and it has been quite a
career and quite a tenure for this chancellor,” said Stephen
Woody, former chair of WCU’s Board of Trustees who was
chairman of the committee that guided the search for a
successor to Myron Coulter after his retirement in 1994.
“I like to say that our search committee would like to take
full credit for John Bardo being at Western Carolina, but
of course that’s not true, because many other people were
involved. We all are fortunate to have had John Bardo as
our chancellor, and we should thank him for his years of
dedicated service.”
The Formative Years
Among those involved in helping shape the educational
priorities that would come to define Bardo’s chancellorship
was his father, whose dedication to earning a college degree
as a nontraditional student made an impression on WCU’s
future leader, although Bardo says he did not realize it at
the time. “My father graduated by going to night school. He
went for 10 years while trying to hold down a traveling job
and raising a family. It was a tough run,” he said. “Watching
my father struggle and realizing the implications of getting
an education for him, despite a whole array of issues
including an illness that almost killed him, and the way he
stuck with it and got his degree, that really spoke to me. The
way my mother supported him also made an impression,
because without her saying, ‘Jack, you’ve got to do this,’ he
probably would have stopped because it sometimes got to be
way too much. I do think that colored how I view education
and what I think education actually means.”
Growing up in Ohio, Bardo had an early goal of becoming
a professional photographer. “I loved photography, and
I published a number of pictures over time,” he said.
“I actually had an offer to go into an art studio, but I also was
accepted into graduate school the same day I got that offer.”
The art studio director agreed to hold a position for Bardo
for a year. After earning his master’s degree in sociology
from Ohio University in 1971, he was accepted into the
doctoral program at the Ohio State University. With that,
photography’s loss became higher education’s gain.
“Getting into college and university administration was
never anything in my youth I thought I would pursue,”
Bardo said. “In fact, after I graduated from high school, my
parents did not think I would ever graduate from anything
ever again. For graduation, they gave me a gold Longines
watch because they felt like I would go off into photography
and never continue in academics.” Instead, Bardo studied
economics at the University of Cincinnati, earning his
bachelor’s degree in 1970. Even as an undergrad, he admits
he wasn’t always a stellar student. “Because of my father’s
experience, I was familiar with universities, but when I was
in school, studying was never high on my list of priorities,”
he said. “It wasn’t until my junior year in college that I
woke up and had the big ‘aha moment.’ I changed direction
almost immediately.”
Bardo again credits his parents for that change of
direction. “My parents always knew I wanted to travel, so I
guess in desperation to get me to do something – anything
– they sent me to England to study,” he said “When I got
there, the whole milieu in which they were operating was
so different that it absolutely struck me. They were trying to
answer real, fundamental questions – how do you rebuild
a society after all the major cities have been bombed out,
how do you rebuild an economy so people can live, and
how do you keep the environment from being totally
destroyed while you are rebuilding? These were big-time
questions they were worrying over in very real ways. It was
not just theoretical.”
Those experiences – witnessing his father struggle to
earn a degree and the role of education in helping a society
resurrect itself – steered Bardo’s study of economics and
sociology and shaped his understanding of institutions of
higher education as key players in economic development.
“Higher education has moved from this interesting place
20 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
in the small community with the quirky professor with a
tweedy jacket riding his bicycle to campus and saying nifty
things in the classroom to where universities are now at the
center of the future of society, the future of the economy and
the future of this country,” he said.
First Impressions
Armed with an understanding of the connection between
education and economic development, Bardo began a career
in higher education with stints at Southwest Texas State
University, Wichita State University and the University of
North Florida. He became vice president for academic affairs
at Bridgewater State in 1990, and took on the additional role
of provost in 1993. When Coulter decided to step down as
WCU chancellor in 1994 after a decade in the post, Bardo
was among those interested in the position.
It became evident early in the recruitment process that he
was a front-runner, said Woody. “We identified four finalists
and made plans to bring them to campus so that, over the
course of a couple days, they could meet and talk with
faculty, staff, students and other interested parties,” he said.
“The first person who came to campus, because we did them
alphabetically, was Dr. Bardo. And right after Dr. Bardo
spoke, I had several people say to me, ‘Stephen, don’t bother
bringing anybody else in. We have found the right person.’
And I said, ‘Don’t you at least want to hear what the others
have to say?’ And they replied, ‘It’s not necessary. We already
know who our next chancellor should be.’” (The committee,
of course, did seriously consider other candidates.)
Doug Reed, then director of public information, has a
similar recollection about the public sessions once a part
of the chancellor search process but no longer common
practice. “During his presentation, John had the audience in
the palm of his hand,” Reed said. “I was sitting in the back
of the room, listening and taking notes, and I was struck by
how completely John had captivated the audience. He spoke
as one of them – as a fellow faculty member. He really knows
how to speak to an academic audience.”
Bardo, officially announced as WCU chancellor on
St. Patrick’s Day 1995, also knows how to relate to staff,
including blue-collar workers, said Roger Turk, grounds
superintendent. Turk said Bardo made a perfect first
impression on his workers when they arrived at the
chancellor’s residence to help him move and found the
new boss jamming out to music by rock band Creedence
Clearwater Revival. “I told the guys, ‘He’s one of us, boys,’”
Turk said.
In Bardo, staff members found an ally. Bardo advocated
for salary increases to help lower-paid workers get closer to
the state average for their positions. He created a $10,000
endowed scholarship fund in honor of wife Deborah that
benefits children and grandchildren of WCU employees. He
frequently attends staff picnics or other special activities to
spend time with workers. “Dr. Bardo sees the importance of
the blue-collar worker here at WCU, and what they bring to
the tradition and function of this campus,” Turk said. “He
sees there are people working here who are second, third,
even fourth generations of their families with careers at
WCU. He has come to understand the heritage, pride and
commitment of mountain people and their culture. He has
accepted those attributes in the staff and sees that as a very
positive and important thing.”
Raising the Bar
Perhaps the defining moment of the Bardo era came on
a cold, snowy day in February 1996, in what has come to be
known as the “Raising the Bar” speech. In that first major
address of his administration, Bardo outlined a strategy for
taking WCU to a new level by improving the quality of its
academic programs and increasing admission standards,
and by focusing on regional economic development and the
performing and visual arts.
Reed, the now-retired public information director,
remembers one of his first assignments for Bardo – helping
draft the ‘Raise the Bar’ speech. “I was working on those
From left, Bardo, wife
Deborah and son Christopher
at his 1995 investiture with
C.D. Spangler, president
of the University of North
Carolina system, and Judge
Mark D. Martin ’85; the
Catamount softball program
was established under Bardo;
the Bardos with Paws; and
at the 2003 opening of the
Center for Applied Technology
with trustee Phil Walker ’71,
Congressman Charles Taylor
and SGA president Heather
List ’05.
Winter 2011 | 21
remarks over the weekend, and I felt moved to pick up the
phone and call him at the chancellor’s residence. That had
never been my practice in working with chancellors,” he
said. “But I couldn’t help but pick up the phone and call John
Bardo as I read over the draft of his address. I was really
encouraged by the fact the incoming chancellor was talking
– in diplomatic but strong and forthright terms – about
raising the bar and improving academic quality. I called to
say, ‘Hooray!’”
The rest, as they say, is history. Since 1995, the average SAT
score for incoming freshmen has risen 80 points – a 5-point
rise is considered statistically significant – while the average
grade-point average has gone from 3.0 in 1995 to 3.5 today.
The freshman retention rate has improved from 69 percent
to 74 percent. For two years running, WCU has cracked
the top 10 of US News and World Report’s list of leading
public regional universities in the South. Innovative policies
that reward faculty members for applying their scholarly
activities to solve problems faced by the community beyond
campus have been called “a national model,” and those
policies are enabling professors to help nearby Dillsboro
rebound from the economic downturn.
U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler, who represents the far-western
counties of North Carolina in Congress, is among the fans of
WCU’s adoption of “the Boyer model of scholarship,” which
connects university scholarly work to the needs of society.
“Dr. Bardo truly has paved the way for other colleges and
universities across the nation to take a different look at their
academic structure by encouraging an atmosphere that
attracts faculty members who have real-life experiences in
their respective disciplines and who are able to share those
experiences with their students,” Shuler said. ��Students are
able to get valuable career experience before they even have
graduated and begun their careers, and sometimes those
relationships they form while students result in employment
opportunities after they graduate. That’s what we like to see.”
Belle S. Wheelan, president of the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, praised
Bardo for his leadership not only on his home campus but
beyond. “Accreditation in the United States exists due to
leaders like Dr. John Bardo, who are committed to self-regulation
in higher education and understand the value
and credibility it brings to academic initiatives. He knows
the necessity for institutional commitment to accreditation’s
concept of quality enhancement through continuous
assessment and improvement and has demonstrated this
through his innovative support of faculty and students
at Western Carolina University, most recently through
the development and implementation of WCU’s Quality
Enhancement Plan,��� Wheelan said. “He is a champion of
American higher education.”
The Purple Party
For all the development on campus over the past 16
years, it’s the university’s role in development of another
kind that has won Bardo admirers for his political acumen.
WCU has received nearly $20 million in federal funding
during his administration, dollars that helped build and
equip the Center for Applied Technology, launch electrical
engineering and forensic science programs, expand regional
broadband capacity, and create science and economic
development partnerships with universities including
Southern Cal, Stanford, Furman and Clemson.
Bardo’s understanding of the role of higher education in
economic development was key in obtaining federal support,
said Charles Taylor, former congressman and member of the
House Appropriations Committee. “It is essential to have
a partner like Dr. Bardo,” Taylor said. “Although I had the
responsibility in the appropriations process of getting the
funds together because of the seniority I had in Congress,
you have to have a program you can be proud of and someone
who can be an eloquent spokesman for that program. With
Dr. Bardo, I had an equal partner, someone who knew what
needed to be done, who could provide the background and
information we needed to make the case for funding for
these programs. As a congressman, that is invaluable.”
From left, Liz Goettee ’06
snaps Bardo at commencement;
and Bardo accepts a 2005
contribution toward the
Fine and Performing Arts Center
from Michell Hicks ’87,
principal chief of the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians,
and Tom O’Donnell of Harrah’s
Cherokee Casino and Hotel.
22 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
A 16-person committee with membership drawn from faculty, students, staff,
alumni and administration and from the surrounding community is deep into
the process of helping select Western Carolina’s next chancellor. The committee
is working with Baker and Associates, an executive search firm with offices in
Winston-Salem and Atlanta, to identify a successor for John W. Bardo.
“We face an extraordinary opportunity in continuing the momentum
this university has achieved and in extending the multitude of successes this
university has enjoyed over the past 15-plus years,” said Steve Warren ’80, chair
of the WCU Board of Trustees, who chairs the chancellor search committee.
After poring over the backgrounds of more than three dozen candidates
and interviewing several, the committee will recommend its top choices to the
WCU Board of Trustees. That board will forward at least three nominees to
University of North Carolina system President Tom Ross, who will present his
recommendation to the UNC Board of Governors for approval. The goal is to
have a new chancellor in place by July 1.
“I know that the search committee and President Ross will find an excellent
leader for WCU,” said Bardo. “The people of this campus have shown that they
are winners and they deserve no less than a great leader. I look forward to lending
him or her my complete support and cheering from the sidelines as this university
continues its quest for excellence.”
The Committee:
Chair Steve Warren ’80 of Asheville, Board of Trustees chair and an attorney.
Gerald Kiser ’69 of Columbia, S.C., Board of Trustees member and former
CEO of La-Z-Boy Inc.
Joan MacNeill of Webster, current trustee and past board chair, and former
president of Great Smoky Mountains Railway.
Virginia “Tommye” Saunooke ’96 MPA ’06 of Cherokee, WCU trustee and
member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Council.
Teresa Williams of Huntersville, Board of Trustees member and board secretary.
Charles Worley of Asheville, vice chair of WCU’s trustees and former mayor
of Asheville.
A.J. Grube, head of WCU’s Department of Business Administration and Law,
and Sport Management.
Erin McNelis, chair of WCU’s Faculty Senate and associate professor of
mathematics and computer science.
Bill Ogletree, head of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Daniel Dorsey, president of the Student Government Association and a senior
from Decatur, Ga.
William Frady ’99 MAEd ’05, chair of the WCU Staff Senate and staff member
in the Division of Information Technology.
Carol Burton ’87 MAEd ’89, associate vice chancellor for undergraduate studies.
Betty Jo Allen ’68 of Lincolnton, president of the WCU Alumni Association
and a retired teacher.
Kenny Messer ’86 of Greenville, S.C., past-president of the Catamount Club
board of directors and an executive with Milliken Corp.
Phil Walker ’71 of Hickory, former Board of Trustees chair and a senior
vice president with BB&T.
Scott Hamilton of Hendersonville, CEO of AdvantageWest, the regional
economic development commission of Western North Carolina.
search party
A committee is hard at work to have
WCU’s next leader in place by the summer
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
Calling himself a member of “the Purple Party,”
Bardo frequently said that it does not matter to him
whether an elected official is a Republican, a Democrat
or a member of a third party; what matters to him is
a willingness to help WCU in its efforts to support
economic development in WNC.
Taylor saw that mindset in action. “We never got
bogged down in partisan politics or ideology. We
both recognized it was not a Republican or Democrat
problem or a conservative or liberal problem. It was
a regional problem,” said Taylor. “Sometimes people
get so focused on political affiliation or party lines
that it makes it hard to move forward, but that’s not
the case with John. That’s a great part of his character.
He is a true example of a leader who will work with
whatever political party is in power in a given year.”
Shuler, the Democrat now representing the region
in Congress, agreed. “Over his years as chancellor,
Dr. Bardo has shown an ability to work with elected
officials, regardless of anyone’s political affiliation. He
has embraced the philosophy that the most important
thing is what is right for our university, our community,
our state and our nation. He has taken that and worked
successfully for the benefit of the university and the
region it serves,” Shuler said.
Much of that effort has revolved around improving
WCU’s relationship with the nearby Native American
community of Cherokee, including the formation of a
task force of university and tribal leaders dedicated to
working together on projects to improve educational
and economic opportunities for the Cherokee people.
“The relationship between WCU and the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians is through the dedication
of Chancellor Bardo and his willingness to work with
us on many major initiatives,” said Michell Hicks ’87,
principal chief of the Eastern Band. “I have the utmost
respect for his willingness to work with our tribe to
foster open communication.”
Unfinished Business
As the end of an era at WCU approaches, Bardo
admits that he will be leaving some unfinished
business for his successor, although, as he says,
“There’s only so much one can do in a 16-year
run.” Those items include an examination of the
number of academic specializations the university
offers; reducing the unnecessary expansion of the
hours required to graduate from some programs, a
phenomenon called “curriculum creep”; improvements
to the graduation rate so more students can graduate
within four years; and the continued evolution of the
Millennial Initiative.
There’s also the matter of an athletics program
that has fans hoping for better days. Bardo said
he understands the frustrations. “We made very
significant investments in athletics during my time
here, but we have not solved the issue of costs increasing
faster than income,” he said. “WCU’s athletics fees are
high compared to other UNC campuses, so it will be
important for people who are interested in athletics
to continue to increase their support. Athletics is
the ‘front porch’ of the university and it will be very
important for the next chancellor to be able to find
ways to enhance athletic performance.”
Winter 2011 | 23
Despite the handful of tasks not yet completed, Bardo
will be remembered for what he has accomplished, and
for a leadership style that is “visionary, bold, energetic,
comprehensive and intelligent,” said Gurney Chambers
’61, who has worked for 10 of Western Carolina’s 13
presidents and chancellors. Others agree. Shuler, whose
path to Congress began in nearby Swain County, said that
WCU has reached new levels of excellence. “Dr. Bardo has
led such an incredible transformation of Western Carolina
University, from its aesthetics with all of the changes in the
center of campus and addition of beautiful new buildings, to
improvements in its academic quality and its curriculum. As
a native of Western North Carolina, it has been phenomenal
to see all that has transpired under Dr. Bardo’s leadership,”
Shuler said.
Jim Buchanan ’83, editorial page editor of the Asheville
Citizen-Times, has written extensively about the changes
he has seen as his alma mater, a place where his daughter is
now a student in the Honors College. “I’ve been impressed
by what has happened in Cullowhee, especially regarding
the university’s more rigorous academic standards and
aspirations, and of course the well-targeted growth in both
infrastructure and student body,” said Buchanan. “I think
it is safe to say John Bardo will be remembered as a truly
transformative chancellor in the mold of Cotton Robinson.
The place is simply at a whole new level from where it was
upon his arrival.”
Perhaps it is summed up best by Chambers, retired dean
of WCU’s College of Education and Allied Professions,
a man who has been a student, professor, administrator
and benefactor of the university and who has spent 50 of
the last 54 years either witnessing closely or participating
directly in the university’s growth and development. “As we
now face a change in the leadership of the university, it is
appropriate to reflect on the John Bardo era and to express
our appreciation for the leadership he has provided,” he
said. “From my perspective, there is no other 16-year period
in the history of the university that is as worthy of applause
and celebration by students, faculty members, graduates,
friends and community leaders as the Bardo era.”
Bardo gets a boisterous
reception from students
at a 2010 Catamount
basketball game.
24 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
pride to
pasadena { january 1, 2011 }
magazine.wcu.edu
Band members worked and played in California,
performing in the Tournament of Roses Bandfest
(above) at Pasadena City College and enjoying them-selves
at the landmark Santa Monica Pier (opposite).
Although brief, the Pride of the Mountains Marching
Band’s TV appearance in the Rose Parade on Jan. 1
was long enough to keep a promise to rock the world.
As more than 1 billion people watched from 200-plus countries and
territories, the band marched through Pasadena, Calif., performing “You”
by California horn-band Suburban Legends, the WCU fight song and the
Ozzy Osbourne hit “I Don’t Wanna Stop.” About 1 million spectators lined
the streets along the 5.5-mile parade route, creating what band members
described as a sea of humanity.
“You could hear them yelling for us,” said Rachel Rimmer, a senior band staff coordinator
from Siler City majoring in music education. “When we were allowed to take a break, our
drumline was high-fiving kids, and we were talking to people in the crowd.” At one point, a
WCU percussionist lent his drumsticks to a spectator, and the boy’s drumming won applause
not only from the band but also from the crowd. Within days, more than 77,000 votes were
cast at KTLA.com for WCU as the favorite band in the parade, and the Pride won the poll.
(See related story on special section page 8.)
By TERESA KILIAN TATE Hitting the High Notes
2 | Pride of the Mountains
“When I would wave, as many as 70 people
might wave back,” said Bob Buckner ’67,
director of the band. “And even though we
were 2,500 miles from Cullowhee, when we
played the fight song, people chanted ‘Go
Western.’ I got pretty emotional. I was just so
proud about being from WCU.”
A Tradition of Innovation
When halftime announcer Ryan Hipps
’00 surprised everyone at E.J. Whitmire
Stadium on Oct. 24, 2009, with news of
the Rose Parade invitation, band members
struggled to stay at attention. “The Pride
of the Mountains has been selected,
invited and is going to represent Western
Carolina University and the great state of
North Carolina in the 2011 Tournament
of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California!”
said Hipps.
Based on musical talent, entertainment
value, perfor-mance skill and directorship,
the invitation to march in the parade was
one of two extended to U.S. collegiate
bands not accompanying teams to the Rose
Bowl. The announcement came during the
presentation to WCU of the nation’s ultimate
honor for college and university bands, the
Sudler Trophy, considered the “Heisman
Trophy” of the marching band world.
Under the direction of Buckner, Matt
Henley ’93 MA ’95 and Jon Henson ’05
MA ’07, the Pride had earned the nickname
the “world’s largest funk-rock band.” Its
high-energy marching band shows are
anything but traditional, featuring electric
guitars, synthesizers and vocalists. For
the most recent show, “Rock U,” freshman
Ezra G. Byrd played bagpipes to open Kid
Rock’s song “Bawitdaba.” Later, sophomore
Whitney Collins sang AC/DC’s “Rock and
Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution” while standing
on a life-sized prop shaped like the letter
“U.” “It’s like a rush of energy,” said Collins.
For music arranger Bill Locklear, the
Pride’s instrumentation gives the music
a completely different dimension, and
the band’s musicianship is impressive.
“Anything that I can write, it doesn’t matter
how difficult it is, these kids can play,” he
said. When Locklear saw the Pride perform
in the fall during its fifth appearance at
the Bands of America Super Regional
Championship in Atlanta, he was taken by
surprise. “It sounded so fresh that it took
awhile for it to come back that I had written
some of that,” he said.
Henley said trying new things is just part
of the band’s tradition. “Our tradition is
innovation and we’re not slowing down,” he
said. “Our foot is squarely on the gas pedal.”
Stepping It Up
Although the band had performed at a
range of prestigious regional and national
events, the Rose Parade presented more
physical and logistical challenges than ever
before. Physically, bandsmen had to have
the endurance to perform the field show
and, two days later, march nearly 6 miles. To
chart their progress as they stepped up their
physical activity, students wore pedometers
for 10 weeks in the fall and logged more than
260 million steps. The mellophone section
alone racked up an average of 108,099
footsteps per member in the 10th week, and
one member, Cole Watkins, lost 65 pounds
after he started running to build up his
stamina. “In the parade, endurance is a big
factor,” said Watkins.
For sophomore trumpeter Kirby Black-welder,
increasing her stretching routine in
preparation was critical because of muscle
weakness as a result of having mild cerebral
palsy. “Last year, I was not sure I was going
to make it through the entire season,” said
Blackwelder. “It was much more intense
than I was used to in high school, but the
challenge made every football game and
every performance more special.” The band
even practiced marching the length of
the parade on a closed stretch of Highway
107 near campus on a Sunday afternoon
in December.
Logistically, the trip required flying band
members to California and transporting
luggage, instruments and equipment
across the country in addition to handling
lodging, meals and busing in and around
the congested Los Angeles area. To raise
money for the nearly $640,000 trip, students
“passed the hat” at home football games; sold
golf shirts, T-shirts, lapel pins, wristbands
and other items; and solicited contributions
from friends and family members.
The band also raised money by offering
donors at the level of $1,000 or more the
opportunity to direct a performance or
receive a photo of the band forming the
donor’s name on the field. In two hours on
Dec. 17, in near-freezing temperatures, the
band spelled and photographed the names of
24 major sponsors whose gifts totaled about
Rose Parade 2011 | 3
$60,000. (See the video at magazine.wcu.
edu.) Among the sponsors were businesses
such as AT&T, which was the largest private
contributor, and supporters, fans and
alumni such as Pat Blanton Kaemmerling
’71 and husband David Kaemmerling, who
said they recognized the band’s hard work
and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
the trip offered students. “This type of
experience can open a student’s mind to
new horizons and can be a turning point in
a student’s life,” she said.
Others such as Jimmy Crocker donated their
time and talents. Crocker, a band parent
as well as the son of one of Buckner’s high
school band directors, volunteered and
recruited other volunteers to drive three
trucks of the band’s equipment, luggage and
instruments across the country and back
– a move that saved an estimated $40,000
in baggage fees. Their journey began
earlier than planned when snow blanketed
Western North Carolina, and drivers spent
Christmas Day morning putting chains on
the tires and coordinating with snowplows
to move the trucks for what would be a slow,
snowy start the following morning to their
three-day journey west. “We couldn’t even
get to the trucks when we first got there,”
said Crocker.
For the Love of
Marching Band
Jeff Throop, Tournament of Roses president,
predicted during a September visit to WCU
that the Pride was going to “blow everybody
away” at the event’s Bandfest. Indeed, on
Dec. 30, the Pride’s performance of “Rock
U” received a standing ovation as well as
high praise from strangers-become-friends
– the family and former band director of the
late Ryan Dallas Cook.
WCU’s band directors never met Cook,
who was a 23-year-old trombone player
in the high-energy California ska band
Suburban Legends when he died in a 2005
traffic accident. They had only heard about
him and how Suburban Legends held a
concert in his honor to benefit Cook’s high
school marching band because of how much
marching band had contributed to Cook’s
love of music. Moved, WCU directors
sought and received permission to perform
a song Cook co-wrote in the Rose Parade.
“We were excited to get to play ‘You’ in
Dallas’ memory and send the message of a
love for marching band from coast to coast,”
said Henley.
They also reached out to build a friendship
with Suburban Legends, Cook’s high school
marching band director and his family,
and invited them to Bandfest. After all,
the parade’s theme for 2011 was “Building
Dreams, Friendships and Memories.” After
the show, the band presented the Cooks with
a WCU clock, and Cook’s father, Carlton,
said his son would have loved seeing the
Pride perform. “It was so moving and very
powerful,” said Cook. “It was really nice
they were last, because no band would want
to follow that. When they came on – the
mere size – they blew everybody away with
just the intensity of the music and how well
the sound came out. It’s hard to get good
sound when you are moving around. They
just did it so wonderfully.”
Two days later, the sight of so many people
at the parade, especially as the band turned
the sharp, 110-degree turn onto Colorado
Boulevard, was incredible, members said.
Whitney Hinceman, a senior piccolo player
from Mooresville, described the excitement
and the interaction – how parade-goers
would run out to take pictures with the band
or kids would warn them not to step in horse
droppings. Every member of the Pride who
started the Rose Parade finished, still fired
up, said Buckner.
Betty Allen ’68, president of the WCU
Alumni Association, said the Pride’s
performance in the parade exceeded her
high expectations. “I was just in awe,” said
Allen, who later joined friends, alumni and
family lining the hallway at the band’s hotel
to greet members with a welcome worthy
of champions. Richard Huffman, a senior
trombone player from Hickory, described
the entire experience as an amazing way to
finish his marching band career. “It’s been
really emotional, seeing everyone clapping
when we got back,” said Huffman. “We’re
always going to be able to say ‘I was in the
Rose Parade. I remember that corner. I
remember seeing those people.’ I will always
have that.”
The day before visiting Santa Monica (above left, top and bottom), band members spotted a big green celebrity in Hollywood.
4 | Pride of the Mountains
Wet to the bone, Hayesville resident Phil
Honsinger climbed to the top of the west-side
stands of E.J. Whitmire Stadium after
a rainy, windy football game to record the
Pride of the Mountains Marching Band’s last
show in 2006. “I was shaking as I filmed,”
said Honsinger, who felt the real blow later
when someone else was introduced as
the band’s “No. 1 fan.” “I thought, ‘Wait
a minute, I’m the No. 1 fan.’ After all, this
was my 68th consecutive videotaping of the
Pride of the Mountains,” he said.
Honsinger first saw the Pride perform in 1996
at his son’s high school band competition.
“You would have thought Hayesville’s band
had just won the Super Bowl the way they
reacted when the horns from the Pride of
the Mountains let it rip,” said Honsinger.
“Man, what a show.” When daughter Lauren
Honsinger ’07 joined the Pride, his fandom
escalated into an obsession that continues
today, he said. He made a point to attend
shows – big or small, planned or last-minute,
near or far. Honsinger went to exhibitions in
Indianapolis, as well as to Pride performances
at high schools throughout the region. At a
special weeknight performance planned
NO.1
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
Phil Honsinger, with daughter Lauren Honsinger ’07 in Los Angeles, calls the band’s
Rose Parade performance ‘the time of my life.’ Photo courtesy of Jimmy Honsinger
for a few dozen guests from the University
of North Carolina Board of Governors in
2008, assistant director Matt Henley ’93
MA ’95 walked in the dark, mostly empty
stadium to prepare when he was surprised
by a shadowy figure. “It scared me, and I
stopped in my tracks,” said Henley. “Then I
heard Phil say, ‘Hey Matt.’ I just laughed out
loud. I said, ‘You really are the No. 1 fan.’ It’s
extremely cool to have people like Phil who
are so dedicated to the band.”
A dedicated Honsinger traveled to Califor-nia
with family for the Tournament of Roses
Bandfest – a show he worried he might miss
because of a bus breakdown. He calmly
told tour company officials that he was the
Pride’s No. 1 fan (although he admits there
are other obsessed Pride fans, too.) “I asked
them, ‘Do you know how one gets to be the
No. 1 fan?’ They just looked at me with blank
faces. I told them about the 137 consecutive
marching band shows and about how today
was going to be the 138th show. I asked them
if the bus would be coming in time to keep
the string going. I said, ‘I know there will
come a time when I will not make it to watch
the Pride of the Mountains shows. I know
there will be a time when my string will
end.’” The tour company manager replied,
“Not on my watch will you miss a show,”
said Honsinger, who made it to Bandfest
in time.
Two days later, he faced a 3 a.m. wake-up
call, packed crowds and scarce bathrooms
to get to the stands at the Rose Parade.
The cheering for the Pride had never been
louder, and the group had never looked
quite as bold as they did that day, he said.
“The gold was gleaming in the sunlight
and their instruments were polished to a
sparkling shine,” said Honsinger. “When
our band marched by, it was such a climax
to the season, and it was over far too quickly.
It was the time of my life.”
fan
Band supporter
keeps string alive
with California
performances
Rose Parade 2011 | 5
Summer music camp at Western Carolina
in the 1960s captivated a high school-aged
Bob Buckner ’67, confirming his belief
that his decision to play football instead
of joining the band in seventh grade
was a huge mistake. Fortunately, for the
thousands of students who would someday
march under Buckner’s direction, and
for the band that has achieved national
prestige under his leadership, he remedied
the situation at the first opportunity. “They
needed someone big enough to carry the
bass drum in the Canton Labor Day Parade,
and my friends drafted me,” said Buckner, a
native of Waynesville. “By the time I was in
10th grade, I loved the sounds I was hearing
when I walked in the band room. I loved the
atmosphere and the people.”
When Buckner enrolled at Western
Carolina, he was intent on becoming a band
director. Classmates and friends such as
John Anderson ’67 MAEd ’71, who played in
jazz band and marching band with Buckner,
had no doubt that he would – and that he
would succeed. As a musician, Buckner had
the skill to “triple-tongue” a tuba, Anderson
said. As a student, Buckner asked in-depth
After success at the Tournament
of Roses, WCU’s longtime
band director surveys his career
By TERESA KILIAN TATE
PARADE
REST
questions about even the smallest markings
in the music. As a friend, he was fun and
serious – the kind not only to joke around
but also to have long conversations about life.
Even before graduation, Buckner landed
his first job as a band director when he was
asked to fill in temporarily at Sylva-Webster
High School. He had 12 students on the first
day, and three dropped out after Buckner
shared his vision for the group – a vision
that one student told him seemed a lot like
work. For Catherine Dillard ’87, one of
his first students, it was work but also a
life-defining experience, she said. When
Dillard graduated, the band had grown to
about 50 members. Marching band styles
were changing, and Buckner introduced a
less traditional, more artistic style to the
group. Six years after he took the helm, the
band claimed honors in a Festival of States
competition. Seven years after that, it became
the smallest group to be named the nation’s
best at a Bands of America competition.
Buckner left Sylva-Webster to work full
time at his band design and consulting firm,
United Music Enterprises. He worked across magazine.wcu.edu
6 | Pride of the Mountains
the nation and in Canada and Europe as a
drill designer, guest conductor or clinician.
Clients ranged from the Marine Drum and
Bugle Corps to the Walt Disney Co. He
served the Bands of America organization
– judging competitions, helping develop
national events and competition formats,
and serving as symposium faculty and
member of a range of committees. “Bob’s
fingerprints are all over Bands of America,”
said Scott McCormick from BOA in
recognizing Buckner in 2005 during his
induction to the organization’s Hall of Fame.
In 1991, WCU offered him a job directing
the marching band, but Buckner had already
committed to a job at East Tennessee State
University. He thought he would have to
say no, but as he and wife Donna examined
practice and performance times, they
realized that the ETSU and WCU schedules
did not overlap. So Buckner, a father of
five, directed both – maintaining a hectic
working and commuting schedule, one not
necessarily unwelcome as he coped with the
grief of losing son Michael to a fatal heart
attack.
Among Buckner’s goals was to build on
the family atmosphere he had come to love
as a member of Western Carolina’s band
in the 1960s, and that’s what it’s like today,
said Billie Jeanne Curns, a senior music
education major from Hayesville. “He
knows people in band by first name, which
is huge because there are 400 of us,” said
Curns, part of a student leadership program
so strong Buckner occasionally jokes he’s
not sure the group needs directors. “No
matter how hard a practice is, we know he’s
there for us. He has an open-door policy,
and students come in just to talk to him.”
Another goal was to transform the band
into a sophisticated rock ’n’ roll group. “My
idea was to develop a band that everyone
is going to relate to in some way – with
a lot of movement, choreography and
really good arrangements of music people
will recognize,” said Buckner. The group
incorporated nontraditional marching
band elements, such as electric guitars and
vocalists, and earned a reputation as “the
world’s largest funk-rock band.”
Membership grew in two decades from fewer
than 90 members to more than 400, thanks
to tremendous support from fans such as
Chancellor John W. Bardo. The chancellor,
who was instrumental in changing the
group’s name from the Marching Cats to
the Pride of the Mountains, would conclude
his band pep talks by asking, “What band
is this?,” prompting the response “The best
damn band anywhere!” “And don’t you
forget it!” Bardo would say.
Prior to the 2011 Rose Parade, the band had
performed five times at Bands of America
regional championships at the Georgia
Dome and three times at BOA Grand
Nationals in Indianapolis. It has played at
halftime at an Atlanta Falcons game and
its drumline took the stage with country
music’s Keith Urban. In 2009, the band
received the Sudler Trophy, which the Sousa
Foundation says it awards to “collegiate
marching bands of particular excellence
that have made outstanding contributions
to the American way of life.” Meanwhile for
Buckner, MENC: The National Association
for Music Education in 2005 honored him
as a Lowell Mason Fellow, and Drum Corps
International and MENC in 2009 presented
him with the Excellence in Marching Music
Education Award.
With retirement in July, Buckner is looking
forward to devoting more time to other
interests, particularly his six grandchildren
(although some of them are sad this is the
last year “Bobbo” will have his own band).
For Buckner, the sense of so many “lasts” –
the last football game, the last rehearsal, the
last field show, the last performance – did
not sink in until the Rose Parade.
“I remember looking at the memorial flag we
carried in the parade and being so glad we
had done that – that we carried the memory
of those students with us,” said Buckner of
the band’s purple-and-white flag with one
star each for the five students who have died
while members of the band. “I remember
From left, Bob Buckner ’67 and band member
Lizzie Morantz ’10, who came to WCU from
Illinois to work with Buckner, share a laugh during
a 2008 band rehearsal; Buckner takes the stand
during a Catamount football halftime show; and
Buckner celebrates the band’s 2009 Sudler Trophy
with assistant band directors Matt Henley ’93 MA
’95 and Jon Henson ’05 MA ’07. Just a couple of
softies, Buckner and Paws (opposite page) share
a cuddle.
looking across the street and seeing Donna
walking on the other side, and thinking how
special it was that we got to share that and
how much she has contributed to the band,
much that only members of our staff and
color guard would ever know. (Assistant
band directors) Matt Henley ’93 MA ’95
and Jon Henson ’05 MA ’07 and I tried to
keep eye contact through the parade, and I
remember thinking how incredible it was
that we had such a great team of people
who care like I do, who really have invested
themselves in the university and in the
students. I remember thinking about my
high school directors and my college band
director and thinking how cool they would
have thought this was, and how they had
contributed to my life.”
At the band banquet just hours after the
parade, students shared how Buckner had
contributed to theirs. Keith Marwitz, a
senior tenor saxophone player from Indian
Trail, remembered his talk with Buckner
after showing up late. “I have never been
late again,” Marwitz said. Drum major Amy
Shuford from Waynesville recalled how she
was rehearsing years before she came to
WCU when Buckner approached and said
he wanted her in his band. “I just want to
let you know I still have your business card
in my wallet,” said Shuford. Band alumna
Kate Murphy ’06, who works at WCU and
instructs the color guard, read a letter she
wrote to Buckner in which she said the band
makes her heart explode with purple and
gold. “You make nonband people fall in love
with us,” said Murphy.
Rose Parade 2011 | 7
The Tournament of Roses Parade crowds
dispersed and traffic resumed on Pasadena’s
Colorado Boulevard shortly before noon
New Year’s Day. Spirited marching along the
parade route was over, but a virtual battle of
the bands was about to begin online.
Within the hour, television station KTLA
of Los Angeles was inviting visitors to its
website to choose their favorite Rose Parade
band from the roster of 23 units from across
the nation that had performed. Anyone with
Internet access and a computer, cell phone
or other digital device could click and cast
a vote.
KTLA hosted online voting for best float in
previous years, but this was the first favorite
band competition. “We wanted to create
something fun for the bands, especially
because the floats usually grab most of the
attention,” said Jeremy D. Horowitz, senior
producer for digital media at KTLA-TV.
The poll’s popularity far exceeded expecta-tions
of the station, which kept it open for
three days and received a total of 178,721
votes. WCU’s Pride of the Mountains
claimed an early lead – and 40 percent of the
total votes – despite gains by All-Birdsville
ISD Marching Band of Haltom, Texas, in
Social media helps Pride of Mountains claim ‘best band�� title
By CHRISTY MARTIN ’71 MA ’78
Viewer’s Choice Original photo courtesy of Jolesch Photography
the suspenseful final hours before the poll
was closed and WCU’s band declared best in
the parade.
“WCU had more than 72,000 votes. That’s
more than the total votes cast in any of
our previous float polls. I know Texas
boasts about making things big, but clearly
some things in Cullowhee are even bigger,”
said Horowitz.
Moments after the poll opened, WCU’s
public relations staff members posted links
to KTLA’s poll on social media websites,
including Facebook and Twitter, and
roseparade.wcu.edu, a university Web page
created to host band updates and news. They
also alerted regional news media,
including the Asheville Citizen-
Times, Smoky Mountain News
and WLOS-TV in Asheville,
which in turn posted links on
their own websites taking visitors
directly to the voting site, with
reporters sharing the links
through their own Facebook and
Twitter accounts.
Statistics aren��t available on where
the votes actually came from, but
there’s no doubt that the massive
show of support for WCU’s band came about
because of online conversations back home
in North Carolina while the poll was under
way in California. Networks of friends
and friends of those friends adroitly used
Facebook and Twitter to get out the vote.
Sarah Kucharski of Canton, who grew up
in Cullowhee and has close ties to WCU,
was among the fans who monitored the
poll closely, crafting Facebook posts and
Twitter tweets to encourage potential voters.
“Ultimately, our band won because enough
people cared and wanted to make this
happen for its members,” Kucharski said.
“That’s the sweetest victory of all.”
WCU’s online social networks
Become a fan at
www.facebook.com/westerncarolinauniversity.
If you attended WCU and want to find out about
reunions and other events for alumni, go to
www.facebook.com/wcualumni.
Other WCU sites are www.twitter.com/wcu and
www.youtube.com/westerncarolinau.
8 | Pride of the Mountains
magazine.wcu.edu
Music faculty members
say farewell to an old
friend in a bid to become
an ‘All-Steinway School.’
An old friend of the School of Music is retiring after
decades of service to the university community. This time,
we’re not talking about Robert Holquist, the longtime
director of choral activities stepping down from behind the
podium this year, or Bob Buckner ’67, who is hanging up
his marching shoes after leading the Pride of the Mountains
Marching Band to the 2011 Tournament of Roses Parade.
(See related story on special section page 6.)
The retiree in question is an older Steinway model that
has been providing musical accompaniment for music
faculty, student and ensemble recitals for the past 34 years.
Taking its place on stage is a recently obtained instrument
made by acclaimed manufacturer Steinway & Sons, widely
regarded for crafting the finest pianos in the world. The
9-foot “D” concert grand piano is the first new piano of any
kind for the School of Music in more than 23 years, said P.
Bradley Ulrich, professor of music.
“We are hoping this will be the first of many new pianos in
the School of Music as we hope to someday become the first
‘All-Steinway School’ in the University of North Carolina
system. This would truly be a mark of distinction,” said
Ulrich. As the name implies, institutions are designated
as All-Steinway Schools for using only pianos designed by
Steinway & Sons, from the practice room to the recital hall.
THE IVORIES TOWER
The latest addition to the School of Music goes by the name of ‘Steinway’
By BIL STUDENC MPA ’10
The designation would entail replacing approximately 50
pianos with Steinway or models from the Steinway line.
The piano was scheduled to give its concert debut
performance this winter in a concert titled “Steinway
Our Way,” featuring a variety of musical styles with WCU
faculty pianists. Proceeds from ticket sales from the concert
and contributions from friends of the School of Music go
toward the newly established Steinway Piano Fund. The
fund is designed help the School of Music in its goal of
becoming an All-Steinway School, said Robert Kehrberg,
dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. “Our
faculty and students provide more than 250 cultural events
annually through concerts, master classes and engagement
activities within the communities they serve, and they
deserve the finest instrument available,” Kehrberg said.
“The faculty have international professional credentials
and work as performing artists within the region, across
the state and nationally. They are the finest musicians I have
ever worked with.”
To learn how to contribute to the Steinway Piano
Fund, contact Meg White, director of development,
at 828.227.3343 or mawhite@wcu.edu.
Winter 2011 | 25
Bobby Moranda’s mantra nowadays is a combination of
Larry the Cable Guy’s “git-r-done” and the Lowe’s home
improvement company’s “let’s build something together.”
Moranda, preparing for his fourth season as Western
Carolina’s head baseball coach, is directing a massive
renovation of Childress Field/Hennon Stadium worthy of
an episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home (Plate) Edition.”
“The renovation project is critical to the future success of
our proud baseball program,” Moranda said. “The appearance
and functionality of the playing field and stadium are what
recruits want to see first and use to gauge a program. It can
be a source of pride for players, fans and the community.”
Although WCU’s baseball facilities once were the envy of the
Southern Conference, opposing programs have upgraded
with modern, attractive places to play, he said.
“When we have brought prospects on campus in the
past, we would take them to the new dining hall, Campus
Recreation Center, Hinds University Center and the new
residence halls – which all are gorgeous – and then the last
stop would be the baseball stadium, which did not make the
same type of impression as the remainder of our campus,”
he said.
Moranda and his wife of 17 years, Pamela, started the
renovation project when they awoke on July 10 and agreed
that “something has to be done about the baseball facility.”
Later that day, they began working in the dugouts, ripping
out the rotting, molding carpet and adding fresh paint.
Since then, the project has taken off with involvement from
the corporate level to individuals who have contributed
finances, materials, and time and talent, said Chip Smith,
director of athletics. “Coach Moranda has done a superb job
in jump-starting these much-needed improvements to our
baseball facility,” said Smith. “We appreciate the financial
support and leadership roles of the many people who helped
make this renovation project a reality.”
the power of purple one goal
field day
Bobby Moranda mounts a major
renovation of WCU’s baseball facilities,
with a little help from his friends
By steve white ’67
magazine.wcu.edu
26 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Following the dugouts upgrade, the entire stadium was
painted to make the old block work resemble red brick and
trimmed with ivy green paint that matches the new roofing
throughout the stadium. Next was new lower-level seating,
as the stadium was moved 14 feet closer to home plate to
accommodate two rows of new chair-back seats. A 36-inch
wall now extends between the dugouts in front of new Yankee
Stadium-style slatted seats. Major League-style chair-back
seats will replace old chairs in the grandstand, and the metal
bleachers will be covered with molded plastic seating.
In addition, a new Major League-quality backstop net
stretches 156 feet in front of the grandstand seating, and the
rusted grandstand roof has been replaced. The concession
stand and rest rooms have been repainted and roofed in the
red brick and ivy green color scheme, and the batting cage
roof has been replaced. Dugout benches have been replaced,
new protective netting installed, and new bins built for
storage. A 48-inch brick wall will stretch from each dugout
to the outfield fence down the left- and right-field lines. A
“batter’s eye” has been attached to the center-field fence and
the “Purple Monster” in left field has been repainted.
Moranda also has several other projects either under
way, in the planning stages or on his radar. They include
a courtyard behind the third-base seats that will feature a
sitting wall, pavers, planters, outdoor grill and extensive
landscaping; refencing of the entire facility; a brick wall
around the present batting facility; a new pitcher training
area; a wrought iron and red brick entrance; and an earth
berm viewing area outside the right-field fence for WCU
students. In addition, the chair back seats removed from
the grandstand area will be repainted ivy green and placed
along the right-field line. The history of WCU baseball will
be depicted with a series of large mural-type posters that
will adorn the grandstand entrance areas. On the wish list
is a clubhouse that will house a locker room, offices, player
lounge, legacy room, weight room and video room.
“There are so many who had a hand in this project by
stepping up to the plate with their expertise, donation of
materials, labor, cooperation and financial backing,” said
Moranda, who singled out Dave Steed ’73, retired Lowe’s
Inc. senior vice president for general merchandising, as a key
player. “He was behind the donation of a staggering amount
of building material and supplies, and got numerous vendors
to supply everything from paint to bricks to roofing. I got to
know everyone at the Sylva and Franklin Lowe’s stores on a
first-name basis.”
The renovation project would not be possible without
the contributions of many businesses and individuals,
including assistant coaches, players, benefactors, WCU staff
and members of the 1002 Club, the boosters organization
formed to help the Catamount baseball team reach the
College World Series, played 1,002 miles from Cullowhee in
Omaha, Neb.
“We don’t have to have the biggest facility, but we want a
first-class facility that everyone involved with WCU and its
baseball program can be proud of,” Moranda said. “I think
we are on our way to achieving that goal.”
Coach Bobby Moranda and
wife Pamela (opposite), in
upgraded stands, initiated
the stadium renovation.
Above, clockwise from top
left, Moranda and Mackie
McKay, a contractor who
helped with the project; the
stadium before and after
200 gallons of brick red and
ivy green paint; upgrades to
the batting cage; building a
wall down the first baseline;
laying a walkway behind the
stadium; and ticket office
roofing that matches the
color scheme of other new
buildings on campus.
Winter 2011 | 27
pals for the
long run
An enduring friendship is the
impetus behind a new endowed
scholarship fund for WCU’s
track and cross country programs
By randall holcombe
the power of purple one goal
The late Terry Helms ’73 was Western Carolina’s first big
running star. A native of Kannapolis, Helms ran track and
cross country in Cullowhee from 1968 through 1972. “Terry
was the superstar on our first cross-country team in 1968,”
said university sports historian Steve White ’67. “In that
first season, he won nine of the 11 meets the team entered,
set five course records and led the Catamounts to a 25th-place
finish in the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics national championship meet. He single-handedly
put WCU on the national cross-country map.”
Helms continued his running rampage over the next
three seasons. In 1969, he won five meets, set three course
records, led WCU to the NAIA District 6 championship
and finished sixth in the national championship meet,
becoming the Catamounts’ first All-American in cross
country. Another District 6 championship followed in
1970, with the Catamounts finishing 15th in the national
championship meet, and the team recorded a 13th-place
national finish the following year. On the track and field
side, Helms won 15 individual championships in four
seasons and helped lead the Catamounts to three district
championships, White said.
An education major, Helms went on to a 32-year
teaching career, including 26 years at Ledford Middle
School in Thomasville. He retired in 2007 and died in 2008
after contracting mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.
Now, to honor Helms’ impact on WCU’s track and cross
country programs and their longtime friendship, a former
teammate and roommate from Helms’ years at WCU,
Gaither Keener ’72, and his wife, Beverly Keener, have
created an endowed scholarship fund that will benefit WCU
athletes for perpetuity.
Gaither Keener ’72 (above,
second from right) and his
wife have created an endowed
scholarship in memory of the
late Terry Helms ’73, a WCU
track and cross country standout
(opposite page). With Keener
are (from left) Brian Frerking,
WCU associate athletic director;
Olivia Jacobs, the scholarship’s
first recipient; and coach Danny
Williamson ’84 MAEd ’86.
28 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Danny Williamson ’84 MAEd ’86 has an undeniable knack
for influencing young people, as evidenced by the 18 Southern
Conference track and field championship trophies his teams
have hoisted in his 25 years as Western Carolina University’s
most successful head coach. Add making friends in high places
to his list of talents, as Williamson has piqued the interest of
one of the nation’s most benevolent track and field fans and a
top supporter of higher education in North Carolina.
Irwin “Ike” Belk and the Belk Foundation recently issued
Williamson and WCU’s track and field program a check in
the amount of $100,000. Williamson has written Belk (inset,
receiving an honorary doctorate from WCU in 1999) for several
years to thank him for his support of track and field in North
Carolina, and would occasionally include WCU apparel. “Last
summer, I asked about the possibility of financial support
and he responded with a wonderful gift,” Williamson said.
“Mr. Belk’s generosity will allow us to continue to grow our
scholarship program, purchase new equipment and generally
enhance our program in many areas.”
Belk, retired president of the Belk Inc. retail chain, former
member of the University of North Carolina Board of
Governors and a former member of North Carolina’s Senate
and House, has donated millions to colleges and universities
in the Carolinas. Belk’s latest is the fourth substantial gift to
WCU. The Carol Grotnes Belk Building was named to honor
his wife, followed by the establishment of the $1 million Carol
Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professorship in Commercial and
Electronic Media. Another gift commissioned the Catamount
sculpture that sits at the main entrance of the campus.
Belk’s affection for track and field led him to assist with
the building of more than 100 track and field facilities around
the nation. He also has donated millions to the United States
Olympic Committee and has served on that governing board.
on track
Irwin Belk makes a
contribution to WCU’s
athletics program
By steve white ’67
The Terry M. Helms Endowed Scholarship Fund will
provide scholarship support for one WCU track or cross
country distance runner each year. The first scholarship
from the fund was presented in the fall to Olivia Jacobs,
who hails from Helms’ hometown of Kannapolis.
Reflecting on his 40-year friendship with Helms, Keener
recalls more than just Helms’ athletic exploits. Although
Keener and Helms had competed against each other as
high school track athletes, their friendship blossomed in
1968, when they found themselves living on the same wing
of Moore Hall. “Terry was a good Christian person with a
passion for running, dancing and Motown music,” Keener
said. “He always had a smile on his face, and girls loved to
flock around him. Everybody loved Terry.”
Keener and Helms became roommates at WCU, and in
the following decades their friendship continued as Keener
earned a law degree and began his career as an attorney.
Keener now works as the top attorney for Lowe’s, the home
improvement giant based out of Mooresville. “Terry took
me to my first NASCAR race and taught me to play golf. He
was in my wedding, and I was an usher when he married his
wife, Janice (Helms.) Through the years, he always was an
upbeat person, even throughout the illness that ended his
life,” Keener said.
WCU track and cross country coach Danny Williamson
’84 MAEd ’86 said the endowed scholarship fund
established by the Keeners is the program’s second. “This
will be a tremendous asset for our program, and it will
allow us on a yearly basis to pay tribute to one of the best
who ever competed for WCU,” Williamson said.
Winter 2011 | 29
The unsung heroes on the sidelines
and in the press box are some of
WCU’s biggest fans
By christy martin ’71 ma ’78
labor of love Working on the sidelines at Western Carolina University’s
athletic events are a resort manager, media company
president, community college instructor, elementary
schoolteacher, outdoor advertising executive and retired
school system administrator, to name a few. Ranging in
age from barely 30-something to well into their 50s, they
converge on Cullowhee for game days from a variety of
towns west of Asheville.
A tight-knit group with a shared love of Catamount
athletics, they are among WCU’s most vocal fans. They are
the ones at the microphones, making the announcements
carried from high overhead at the football stadium and
courtside in the basketball arena. Listeners who tune in
to games aired on radio stations in the mountain region
and upstate South Carolina and online via the Catamount
Sports Network at www.catamountsports.com know them,
too. Announcers, broadcasters, color commentators and
sidelines reporters, they’re the unsung heroes of the games.
Long before the players, coaches and spectators arrive,
sideline workers are already in the press box busy with
preparations, from practicing the pronunciation of players’
names to writing scripts for the public-address system to
testing microphones and video equipment. There are dozens
of chores, and they are tireless workers, devoting hundreds
of hours to temporary jobs that most say they’ll never give
up, not for the nominal wage they earn from the athletics
department, but for the chance to be close to the action.
“The majority of us just love WCU and what the athletics
program has done for young people,” said Steven Crumpler
of Penrose, assistant innkeeper of the Swag Country Inn of
Waynesville. “Sometimes it’s athletic ability that has made it
possible for a player to attend college. And they come here,
excel in their sport and go on to greater things.”
Crumpler works as play-by-play announcer for women’s
basketball and is a producer and engineer for football
broadcasts. He became involved with athletics 10 years ago
as a program director on the campus radio station WWCU-FM.
“When I first stepped on campus, WCU became my
team forever,” he said. “I don’t cheer for anybody else.”
Ryan Hipps ’00 of Waynesville and Greg McLamb ’00
of Franklin also worked as students together doing sports
broadcasting at WWCU. Their athletics ties have only grown
stronger through the years. Hipps, who is president of Stress
Free Productions of Waynesville, has been a public-address
announcer for multiple sports. He also produces many
video projects for athletics, including women’s basketball
videos, a coaches’ TV show, “signing day” video coverage,
and segments for the new PurpleVision video scoreboard in
the football stadium.
the power of purple one goal
magazine.wcu.edu
30 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
McLamb, history instructor at Haywood Community
College in Clyde, is the intrepid sidelines reporter, always
ready with a microphone to give updates when there are
player injuries or halftime interviews with coaches. “You
see up close the sweat, tears, and the blood – literally – that
the players are giving in the game. Working on the sidelines
has given me great appreciation for them, for sports and for
Western Carolina,” he said.
In the past 20 years, Phil Woody ’75, language-arts
teacher at Scotts Creek Elementary School in Sylva, has
covered 590 basketball games and 64 football games in
an assortment of roles that have ranged from doing the
football drive-chart records in the 1980s before computers
were available, to public-address announcing for football
and men’s basketball, spotting, radio broadcasting and,
currently, managing the scoreboard clock for basketball.
“It gets really hectic on the sidelines sometimes, but we
help each other out,” Woody said. “Our jobs are a lot of fun,
and every one of them is important.”
Woody is a former radio announcer who in the past
worked with Gary Ayers at WBHN Radio in Bryson City.
Ayers, president of Allison Outdoor Advertising of Sylva, is
known as “The Voice of the Catamounts.” He has been doing
radio broadcasts and public-address announcing for WCU
for more than a quarter century.
Tim Amos ’77 MBA ’82 and Britt Amos ’06, are a father-and-
son team from Asheville whose work was instrumental
in the premiere last fall of the video scoreboard. The elder
Amos, retired assistant superintendent of Asheville City
Schools, is a longtime audio and video hobbyist who
worked as a radio announcer for WCU athletics in the late
1990s. “I’ve been a supporter of Western Carolina forever,
and I always hope for success for the teams,” he said. “I just
enjoy going to the games and working with the great people
over there.”
Daniel Hooker ’01, assistant athletics director for
media relations, said the sidelines workers are one of the
department’s greatest assets. “I’m continually amazed at the
contributions made by so many. They love the university and
enjoy giving back in any way they can. There is no question
that without their dedicated service, we wouldn’t be able to
accomplish all that we do.”
Hooker’s predecessor agrees. “They’re WCU’s greatest
fans,” said Steve White ’67, retired director of sports
information. “It’s in their blood.”
Clyde Simmons ’96 is on the short list of Western Carolina’s greatest
football players. Following a college career in which he led the Catamounts
to their only appearance in the NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) title game
in 1983, Simmons (right, making a tackle for the Cats) went on to a 15-year
NFL career, compiling 1211/2 sacks as a defensive end while playing with
Philadelphia, Arizona, Chicago, Cincinnati and Jacksonville.
He returned in the mid-1990s to earn his degree (left, at commencement
with Chancellor John Bardo) and eventually retired from the NFL in
2000. He worked for a mortgage company and was a probation officer,
content to be away from football. But last year he got the itch to return
and applied for one of the NFL’s minority coaching fellowships. He wound
up with the New York Jets because their coach, Buddy Ryan, was familiar
with Simmons. “He’s an expert. He’s a guy that clearly the players would
look up to and they’d respect,” Ryan recently told the New York Times.
“I had him in Arizona, and he was a leader back then for me when I was
coaching defensive line. I thought he’d bring that to us, and he has. He’s
been outstanding.”
Simmons, 46, works with the Jets’ defensive linemen and has been
credited with helping them become better pass rushers. “I’ve learned a lot
of things just from the little time I’ve been here,” he said. “It’s been a great
working atmosphere. These guys come to work every day. I’ve been in
places where the coaches don’t get along, and it boils over to the players.”
Dennis Thurman, the Jets’ secondary coach, believes Simmons has
a future in coaching. “They know you from when you played, but they
don’t know your skill set as a coach,” Thurman said of the merits of the
fellowship. “You’re a name, but you’re not someone that coaches have had
the opportunity to work with. But he does have a measure of respect. They
know who he is. If you do not know who he is, then you’re not a real
football fan.”
Steve White ’67, former sports information director for Western
Carolina, is thrilled Simmons is back in the NFL, and that Simmons has
been good to his alma mater. “He bought a complete set of uniforms (solid
purple) for the team in the mid-90s,” White said. “He also contributed
significantly to several special projects and a scholarship fund.”
Simmons said in the New York Times story he will stay as long as the
Jets will have him. Four NFL head coaches are graduates of the minority
fellowship: Marvin Lewis of Cincinnati, Raheem Morris of Tampa Bay,
Lovie Smith of Chicago and Mike Tomlin of Pittsburgh. “It’s a great way
of getting on-the-job training,” Simmons said. “It builds your résumé.
But I’m also enjoying what I’m doing.”
Used in edited format with permission of the Asheville Citizen-Times.
running the option
A former Catamount standout gets his foot
in the NFL coaching door through a minority
fellowship program
By bob berghaus
Clockwise from bottom left, Britt Amos ’06 and his father, Tim Amos
’77 MBA ’82, helped premiere the video scoreboard; Steven Crumpler
works for women’s basketball and football; Greg McLamb ’00 is a
sideline reporter; and Ryan Hipps ’00 produces videos and works the
PA for multiple teams.
Winter 2011 | 31
alumni
Achievements
The university has profited from CFO Chuck Wooten’s three decades of service
By jill ingram ma ’08
long-term investor
32 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
When Joe Carter, WCU’s longtime chief financial
officer, announced his retirement in 2000, Chancellor John
Bardo had a clear understanding of what he wanted in the
university’s next vice chancellor for administration and
finance. “I was absolutely committed to doing a national
search, and I was 99 percent sure we would never hire
anyone from inside Western Carolina to be the next finance
officer, because we needed to really think differently about
how we did finance,” Bardo said recently.
After a national search, the last man standing was George
W. “Chuck” Wooten ’73, not only an alumnus but a WCU
employee who for two decades had steadily worked his way
up on the business side, and who, in Bardo’s words, “blew
everybody else in the pool away.” Wooten, associate vice
chancellor at the time, remembers thinking, “Well, I’ve
already got 20 years of experience. Why not give me the
chance to move up?” But Wooten, whose “positive mental
attitude” credo – PMA for short – is well-known among
employees, characteristically found a way to appreciate the
employment exercise: “In hindsight, it was confirmation
that my experience was as good as what the other people
were bringing to the table. It validated my being the person
who was selected.”
Wooten retired Jan. 1 after a decade of unparalleled
growth at WCU, accompanied by a rise in applications,
enrollment and quality of education. During Wooten’s
time as vice chancellor, fueled by millions in state bond
money and locally approved debt, WCU doubled the size
of its campus with the purchase of 344 acres as part of the
Millennial Initiative; built the Fine and Performing Arts
Center, Campus Recreation Center, Courtyard Dining Hall
and five residence halls; and made improvements to every
athletic facility on campus. So rapid was the development
that Bardo, speaking at an October ceremony to honor
Wooten with the university’s Distinguished Service Award,
recalled returning from a two-week vacation to find that
“Chuck had moved a road.”
Helping develop WCU’s master plan is a career highlight
for Wooten, but he calls the “relationships and friendships”
the best part of his job. His colleagues return the love.
Through the most difficult times – budget cuts, tight
deadlines, staff turnover, implementing new systems –
Wooten always maintained the highest standards, a calm
demeanor, and his beloved PMA, said Jeanine Newman,
WCU’s former associate vice chancellor for financial
services. “We used to laugh about it, but he really lived
that. He modeled it, and that’s contagious,” said Newman,
recently named vice chancellor of finance at Sowela
Technical Community College in Lake Charles, La. She
claims Wooten as a mentor, and they both claim Carter, with
whom Wooten worked for 20 years. Succeeding Wooten on
an interim basis is internal auditor Robert Edwards ’77.
Wooten arrived at WCU as a student after a neighbor
suggested he consider attending. He met his wife at WCU,
Kathy Goforth Wooten ’72, a cheerleader, whose two
sisters, Nancy Goforth Carson ’74 and Cheryl Goforth
White ’86, and their husbands, Joe Carson and Mike White
’84, also attended.
Wooten returned to WCU as an employee after working
as an accountant in the N.C. Department of State Treasurer
and then, from 1975-80, as finance officer and then as
manager of Iredell County, a demanding position that
required late nights and early mornings. “There just never
was enough time for anything except work,” said Wooten,
whose daughter was born in 1978. (In the midst of work
and family, Wooten completed a master’s degree in public
administration at Appalachian State University in 1979.) An
ad in the Charlotte Observer for controller at WCU caught
Wooten’s eye. “The idea of returning to Cullowhee was
attractive to both Kathy and me,” he said.
Wooten’s commitment to WCU is matched by his
commitment to community. He is active with Cullowhee
United Methodist Church and the Cullowhee Parks and
Community Association and serves on the Tuckaseigee
Water and Sewer Authority, the board of Givens Estate
in Asheville and the advisory board for the Sylva State
Employees Credit Union. Upon leaving WCU, Wooten
agreed to a six-month interim position as Jackson County
manager, and he looks forward to similar assignments
ahead. “I don’t plan on going home and propping my feet up.
I’m going to do something, but it’s going to be the things I
want to do,” he said. The interim position is a good fit for her
husband, said Kathy Wooten, who retired as a kindergarten
teacher at Fairview Elementary School in Sylva. “He really
had many reservations about retiring, and it took him a long
time to decide on it. With so much good knowledge that he
has, he would want to share it,” she said.
Part of what prompted Wooten’s retirement from WCU
is what prompted him to seek the job in the first place:
his family. Daughter Sally Wooten and her husband,
Kevin Queen ’98 MSA ’09, are parents to twin 3-year-old
daughters, Ella and Mattie. “Chuck’s life totally changed
when he became a grandfather as far as what I saw him
get joy from,” Kathy Wooten said. “I fell in love with him
all over again, seeing him embrace those two little girls.
It’s really been special to watch.” Spending time with his
granddaughters, who live in Burke County, before they
enter school is a priority for Wooten, as is influencing their
decisions related to higher education. “We’re going to work
really hard on Ella and Mattie to see if they can be future
Catamounts,” he said.
Chuck Wooten ’73 says
enjoying more time with his
family (opposite), including
wife Kathy Wooten ’72 and
granddaughters Mattie (left)
and Ella Queen, is a priority
in retirement. As vice
chancellor of administration
and finance, Wooten was part
of a WCU building boom that
included the Courtyard Dining
Hall, where he spoke at the
opening reception (above).
magazine.wcu.edu
Winter 2011 | 33
What particularly moved Carol Fowler Durham ’76
during her father’s multiple hospitalizations as he battled a
rare connective tissue disease was the way the nurses cared
for him. “They were making a difference in the lives of not
only my father, but also my mother and, in turn, all of us,”
said Durham, who was 13 when her father died. “So for as
long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a nurse.”
She earned her degree in nursing at Western Carolina and
became a practicing nurse, which led her to another calling.
Durham, who now holds a master’s degree and doctorate,
is an internationally known, award-winning teacher and
leader in the field of nursing education. “My undergraduate
education at WCU prepared me to be a change agent,
to be passionate about patient care and to influence the
profession,” she said.
At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School
of Nursing, Durham is a clinical professor. She has served as
director since 1988 of the Education-Innovation-Simulation
Learning Environment, an award-winning project that is
shifting the focus in nursing education from body mechanics
to safe patient-handling and movement. In addition, she has
been a leader in incorporating human patient simulation